This study is a Stage III randomized trial to encourage patients in advance of a health care appointment to designate a healthcare proxy. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive a mailer containing information about designating a healthcare proxy, or to not receive any mailer. For patients assigned to receive a mailer, the mailer will differ by the presence or absence of a patient pre-commitment prompt, and contain a personalized provider request or a generic health system request. The work will evaluate the randomized trial and identify factors that predict intervention effectiveness.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
10,000
Patient mailers will ask the patient to name a healthcare proxy at their next primary care visit.
Patient mailers will be sent from and signed by the patient's provider for their next scheduled primary care visit.
Patient mailers will contain a box that asks the patient to bring a form with their choice for a healthcare proxy to their next primary care visit.
Proportion of patients with EHR-documented healthcare proxy
Documentation in the electronic health record of a healthcare proxy
Time frame: Within 30 days of the patient's first scheduled primary care visit
Proportion of patients with EHR-documented advance care planning conversation
Documentation in the electronic health record of any advance care planning conversation
Time frame: Within 30 days of the patient's first scheduled primary care visit
Proportion of patients that attended scheduled visit
Patient attended the scheduled primary care visit
Time frame: On the date of the patient's first scheduled primary care visit
Proportion of patients with EHR-documented healthcare proxy within 90 days
Documentation in the electronic health record of a healthcare proxy
Time frame: Within 90 days of the patient's first scheduled primary care visit
Proportion of patients with EHR-documented advance care planning conversation within 90 days
Documentation in the electronic health record of any advance care planning conversation
Time frame: Within 90 days of the patient's first scheduled primary care visit
Proportion of patients with primary care visit within 90 days
Patient attended a primary care visit
Time frame: Within 90 days of the patient's first scheduled primary care visit
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