Enhanced Email Reminders for Health Maintenance

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Deceased, Hospice, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a special email reminder can increase the frequency of primary care service use. It targets patients who have missed important health check-ups and measures whether a personalized email boosts their engagement. Participants will receive either a regular email or a new, enhanced version (a behaviorally informed tickler email) that includes direct links to their health information. UCLA Health primary care patients with overdue health checks and an active MyChart account may be eligible. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to innovative strategies that could enhance healthcare engagement for many.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems unlikely that you would need to stop, as the study focuses on email notifications and patient engagement rather than medication use.

What prior data suggests that this email notification method is safe?

Research has shown that behaviorally informed emails, such as the enhanced tickler email in this trial, are safe. One study found that similar methods, like behaviorally informed letters, successfully increased health insurance enrollment without harming participants. Other studies suggest that automated reminders and alerts help patients adhere to their health plans, yielding positive outcomes with no known risks. These findings indicate that the enhanced tickler email is well-tolerated, as it merely involves sending emails to encourage better engagement with healthcare services. No reports of negative effects from receiving these types of emails have emerged. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the enhanced email reminders for health maintenance because they use behavioral insights to improve patient engagement. Unlike standard reminder emails that simply inform patients of a new message in their portal, these enhanced emails are sent directly from the patient's primary care provider's office and emphasize the importance of upcoming medical exams. Additionally, they provide a direct link to the necessary information in the patient portal, making it easier for patients to access what they need. This tailored approach aims to increase the likelihood of patients following through with their health check-ups, potentially leading to better health outcomes.

What evidence suggests that this enhanced email notification is effective for increasing patient engagement with primary care?

This trial will compare the effectiveness of different email reminder strategies. Research has shown that communication strategies based on human behavior can increase patient involvement in healthcare. For instance, one study found that specific reminders helped patients participate more in their care. Another study demonstrated that letters designed with these strategies increased participation in health programs, such as signing up for insurance. This trial will test a behaviorally informed email, known as the "enhanced tickler," against the standard email reminder. The evidence suggests that specially crafted emails encouraging action could lead to more patients completing important health tasks. Overall, these behaviorally informed emails positively impact patient engagement with primary care. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adult patients at UCLA Health's primary care with overdue health maintenance measures and active MyChart status. It excludes those under 18, deceased, in hospice, who've opted out of electronic communication or have scheduled/completed all tests before the email notification.

Inclusion Criteria

This criterion means that the person is a patient at UCLA Health's Department of Medicine Primary Care.

You have not completed at least one important health check-up that is part of the My Action Plan program.

You are currently using MyChart.

Exclusion Criteria

I have not completed all screenings/tests before the scheduled email notification and do not use a proxy for my emails.

I have chosen not to receive electronic communications.

I am under 18 years old.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive either a standard or enhanced tickler email to encourage engagement with primary care

18 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for engagement with the MyChart patient portal and completion of health maintenance measures

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Behaviorally informed tickler email

Trial Overview

The study examines if a behaviorally-informed 'enhanced tickler email' increases patient engagement with primary care compared to a standard email. Participants are split into two groups based on their birth date's odd or even number to receive different types of emails.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Arm 2: Enhanced tickler email Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Eligible, assigned participants will receive a behaviorally informed email notification (i.e., "enhanced tickler"), coming from their PCP's office, informing patients that they are due for an important medical exam, and containing a direct link to the MAP Letter on their patient portal account.

Group II: Arm 1: Standard tickler email Active Control 1 Intervention

Eligible, assigned participants will receive the current standard email notification (i.e., "control tickler") from UCLA Health, informing patients that they have received a new message in their MyChart patient portal account, and containing links to their portal account.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Los Angeles

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,594

Recruited

10,430,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Patients using the active Personal Health Record (PHR) called HealthTrak reported improved communication with their healthcare providers, which can enhance the overall quality of care.

The active PHR encouraged patients to take a more proactive role in managing their health, fostering a partnership with providers and potentially leading to better health outcomes, especially for those at risk for cardiovascular disease.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Health Information Technology to Foster Engagement: Patients' Experiences with an Active Patient Health Record. Rief, JJ., Hamm, ME., Zickmund, SL., et al.[2023]

Health reminders are crucial for helping patients manage chronic illnesses, but many face challenges like lack of motivation and ability to act on these reminders, leading to negative health outcomes.

Through participatory design sessions with mothers of children with asthma and older adults with type 2 diabetes, four types of persuasive health reminders were identified: introspective, socially supportive, adaptive, and symbolic, highlighting the need for features that enhance understanding and collaboration in health management.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Persuasive Reminders for Health Self-Management. O'Leary, K., Liu, L., McClure, JB., et al.[2018]

Citations

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Enhanced Email Reminders for Health Maintenance

This is a prospective clinical trial evaluating how a behaviorally-informed outreach email notification impacts patient engagement with primary care.

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UCLA Health Patient Health Maintenance Outreach Text Message ...

This is a prospective randomized clinical trial evaluating how behaviorally-informed outreach text messages impact patient engagement with primary care.

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8903125/

Effectiveness of Behaviorally Informed Letters on Health ...

This randomized clinical trial investigates if low-cost behaviorally informed letters can increase health insurance enrollment across Affordable Care Act ...

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Just-in-Time Evidence-Based E-mail “Reminders” in Home ...

This study demonstrates the positive impact of targeting evidence-based computer reminders to home health nurses to improve patient self-care behaviors.

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trial.medpath.com

trial.medpath.com/clinical-trial/87554e66c71b29c3/nct05791955-ucla-health-patient-maintenance

UCLA Health Patient Health Maintenance With Interactive Text ...

This trial will evaluate the effect of sending a text reminder about health gaps as well as compare the effectiveness of different outreach text reminders.

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4912908/

Automated Alerts and Reminders Targeting Patients

Automated technology may reliably assist patients to adhere to their health regimen, increase attendance rates, supplement discharge instructions, decrease ...

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The APSR is consistent with the CFSR PIP, which is consistent with Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) work and strategic planning at all levels of the agency.

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RFP# 202105068 Integrated Care Management (ICM) ...

I. Summary. Through RFP# 202105068, the Department sought proposals for an Integrated Care. Management (ICM) Solutions.