Avoidable Emergency Department AttendancesNCT02334189
Targeted Letters to Reduce Avoidable Emergency Department Attendances
A study testing Letter in people with Avoidable Emergency Department Attendances, run by The Behavioural Insights Team.
Trial summary
The study aims to test whether it is possible to reduce pressure on Emergency Departments by sending a personal feedback letter to people who have recently attended an Emergency Department and whose health issues could likely have been dealt with elsewhere. These attendances clearly have many causes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Avoidable Emergency Department Attendances
- What is being tested?
- Letter
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 25,000 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Jan 2015to Nov 2015
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults who attended a participating Emergency Department during the trial period and whose attendance was codes as 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment'
Who cannot join
- Children under the age of 18
- All departments and hospitals other than participating Emergency Departments.
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet.
About this study
The study aims to test whether it is possible to reduce pressure on Emergency Departments by sending a personal feedback letter to people who have recently attended an Emergency Department and whose health issues could likely have been dealt with elsewhere. These attendances clearly have many causes. However, it is likely that some attendances are due to behavioural factors - in other words, the various ways in which users interact with services. This study focuses on one particular behavioural factor: lack of feedback to users making avoidable visits.
The study will take place in collaboration with an NHS hospital trust. Each week during the trial, the hospital trust will identify those Emergency Department attendances in the last seven days which, according to clinical judgement, could have been dealt with elsewhere. Patients will then be randomly selected to receive a letter containing information on alternative healthcare options for non-emergency health concerns. Patient records will be analysed to determine whether the patients who received the letter are less likely to make an avoidable repeat visit to the Emergency Department in the future, compared with patients who received no letter.
- Being tested
- Letter
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
LetterBehavioural
Patients receive an information letter following an avoidable visit to the Emergency Department.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | Experimental | Patients receive a letter containing information on alternative healthcare options for non-emergency health concerns. Receives: Behavioral: Letter |
| No letter | No intervention | Patients receive no letter (this is the usual care). |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of avoidable Emergency Department re-attendances (Attendances are classified as avoidable using the 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment' code.)
Attendances are classified as avoidable using the 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment' code.
Measured: Measured at 4 months after previous attendance
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Jan 2015 (estimated)
- Study startJan 2015
- Primary completionNov 2015 (estimated)
- Study completionNov 2015 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Avoidable Emergency Department AttendancesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider
- Enrolment
- 25,000 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The Behavioural Insights Team
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Hannah Behrendt, MPhil, BA, Principal investigator, Behavioural Insights Team
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02334189
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2014055
- Status last verified
- Jan 2015
- First submitted
- 6 Jan 2015
- Last updated
- 8 Jan 2015
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Jan 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Targeted Letters to Reduce Avoidable Emergency Department Attendances
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02334189
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2014055
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 25,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The Behavioural Insights TeamUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jan 2015
- Primary completion
- Nov 2015 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Nov 2015 (estimated)
- First posted
- 8 Jan 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The study aims to test whether it is possible to reduce pressure on Emergency Departments by sending a personal feedback letter to people who have recently attended an Emergency Department and whose health issues could likely have been dealt with elsewhere. These attendances clearly have many causes. However, it is likely that some attendances are due to behavioural factors - in other words, the various ways in which users interact with services. This study focuses on one particular behavioural factor: lack of feedback to users making avoidable visits.
The study will take place in collaboration with an NHS hospital trust. Each week during the trial, the hospital trust will identify those Emergency Department attendances in the last seven days which, according to clinical judgement, could have been dealt with elsewhere. Patients will then be randomly selected to receive a letter containing information on alternative healthcare options for non-emergency health concerns. Patient records will be analysed to determine whether the patients who received the letter are less likely to make an avoidable repeat visit to the Emergency Department in the future, compared with patients who received no letter.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, care provider)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Letter | Experimental | Behavioral: LetterPatients receive a letter containing information on alternative healthcare options for non-emergency health concerns. |
| No letter | No intervention | –Patients receive no letter (this is the usual care). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Adults who attended a participating Emergency Department during the trial period and whose attendance was codes as 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment'
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Children under the age of 18
- All departments and hospitals other than participating Emergency Departments.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| LetterPatients receive an information letter following an avoidable visit to the Emergency Department. | Behavioural | Letter |
Primary outcome
Number of avoidable Emergency Department re-attendances (Attendances are classified as avoidable using the 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment' code.)
Time frame: Measured at 4 months after previous attendance
Attendances are classified as avoidable using the 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment' code.
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Jan 2015.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Hannah Behrendt, MPhil, BA principal investigator
Behavioural Insights Team
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Letter in people with Avoidable Emergency Department Attendances, run by The Behavioural Insights Team.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jan 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Hannah Behrendt, MPhil, BA (+447588482198, hannah.behrendt@behaviouralinsights.co.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of avoidable Emergency Department re-attendances (Attendances are classified as avoidable using the 'No Investigation No Significant Treatment' code.) (time frame: Measured at 4 months after previous attendance). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jan 2015.