Emergency TreatmentNCT04567849
Decreasing ED Utilization by Nudging Patients to Call Their Providers
A study testing message, provider and tele-nurse in people with Emergency Treatment and Telephone Hotlines, run by Geisinger Clinic at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
In the present study, patients will be sent a message shortly after completing a medical procedure that informs or reminds them that they can reach out to Geisinger, and how to do it, if they have any medical issues or concerns. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Emergency Treatment, Telephone Hotlines
- What is being tested?
- message, provider and tele-nurse
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 11,546 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 16 Nov 2021to 15 Jun 2023
- 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 Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Patient had a procedure in Women's Health within the study period (including both surgical and in-office procedures as well as baby delivery)
- Patient is enrolled in myGeisinger, Geisinger's patient portal
Who cannot join
- If procedure was labor that resulted in fetal demise or stillborn.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Decreasing ED Utilization by Nudging Patients to Call Their Provider or Triage Nurse After Women's Health Procedures
In the present study, patients will be sent a message shortly after completing a medical procedure that informs or reminds them that they can reach out to Geisinger, and how to do it, if they have any medical issues or concerns. Researchers will assess if such messages make patients more likely to contact Geisinger with post-procedure medical concerns and decrease emergency department utilization.
Read the detailed description
Decreasing emergency department (ED) over-utilization is a priority for healthcare systems across the country. Patients uncertain about a medical issue routinely end up in the ED when less costly and time-consuming alternatives could have addressed their concern. If patients reach out to healthcare facilities rather than heading directly to the ED, they can often be directed toward resources better suited to their concerns than the ED.
Geisinger is thus working to encourage patients to contact healthcare providers if any concerns arise and patients are uncertain about where to go for care. Patients who have recently had a medical procedure may be particularly valuable to encourage, as they routinely have concerns related to the procedure and discharge can serve as a useful touch-point to remind the patient where they can go for questions or concerns.
In the present study, patients will be sent a patient portal message shortly after completing any Women's Health medical procedure. The message will inform or remind patients how they can reach Geisinger if they have any medical issues or concerns. The purpose of this study is to assess if such messages make patients more likely to contact Geisinger with medical concerns and, in turn, decrease unnecessary ED utilization. This study will A/B test 2 messages, encouraging patients to either call their recent provider directly or to call a tele-nurse hotline, and will assess if these messages perform better than a control group that will not be sent any such message.
Generalized linear models will examine the primary study outcomes as a function of the study arms (between-subjects).
- Conditions
- Emergency Treatment, Telephone Hotlines
- Being tested
- message, provider, tele-nurse
- Keywords
- Behavioral Economics, Patient Portal
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
messageBehavioural
patient portal message
providerBehavioural
nudging calling the patient's provider
tele-nurseBehavioural
nudging calling the tele-nurse
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | No intervention control group |
| Nudge: call provider | Experimental | This group will receive a patient portal message the morning after completing their procedure. The message will encourage patients to call their recent Women's Health provider (with appropriate phone number listed) if any questions or concerns arise about their healthcare. Receives: Behavioral: message; Behavioral: provider |
| Nudge: call tele-nurse | Experimental | This group will receive a patient portal message the morning after completing their procedure. The message will encourage patients to call Geisinger's nurse triage hotline (with appropriate phone number listed) if any questions or concerns arise about their healthcare. Receives: Behavioral: message; Behavioral: tele-nurse |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Phone calls
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
ED utilization
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Secondary outcomes (6)
Phone calls
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 12 months
ED utilization
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 12 months
Phone calls - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
ED utilization - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Phone calls - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 12 months
ED utilization - surgical patients only
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
Measured: 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Sep 2020
- Study start16 Nov 2021
- Primary completion15 Jun 2023
- Study completion15 Jun 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Emergency TreatmentStudies 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
- Model description
- Throughout the study, patients will be randomized equally across all three arms.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider
- Enrolment
- 11,546 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Geisinger Clinic
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Amir Goren, Geisinger Clinic
- Investigators
- Amir Goren, PhD, Principal investigator, Geisinger Clinic
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04567849
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2020-0849
- Status last verified
- Jul 2023
- First submitted
- 23 Sep 2020
- Last updated
- 18 Jul 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Data with no personally identifiable information will be made available to other researchers on the Open Science Framework for transparency.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jul 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Decreasing ED Utilization by Nudging Patients to Call Their Provider or Triage Nurse After Women's Health Procedures
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04567849
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2020-0849
- Conditions
- Emergency Treatment, Telephone Hotlines
- Keywords
- Behavioral Economics, Patient Portal
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 11,546 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Geisinger ClinicUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 16 Nov 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Jun 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Sep 2020 (actual)
- 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.
In the present study, patients will be sent a message shortly after completing a medical procedure that informs or reminds them that they can reach out to Geisinger, and how to do it, if they have any medical issues or concerns. Researchers will assess if such messages make patients more likely to contact Geisinger with post-procedure medical concerns and decrease emergency department utilization.
Detailed description
Decreasing emergency department (ED) over-utilization is a priority for healthcare systems across the country. Patients uncertain about a medical issue routinely end up in the ED when less costly and time-consuming alternatives could have addressed their concern. If patients reach out to healthcare facilities rather than heading directly to the ED, they can often be directed toward resources better suited to their concerns than the ED.
Geisinger is thus working to encourage patients to contact healthcare providers if any concerns arise and patients are uncertain about where to go for care. Patients who have recently had a medical procedure may be particularly valuable to encourage, as they routinely have concerns related to the procedure and discharge can serve as a useful touch-point to remind the patient where they can go for questions or concerns.
In the present study, patients will be sent a patient portal message shortly after completing any Women's Health medical procedure. The message will inform or remind patients how they can reach Geisinger if they have any medical issues or concerns. The purpose of this study is to assess if such messages make patients more likely to contact Geisinger with medical concerns and, in turn, decrease unnecessary ED utilization. This study will A/B test 2 messages, encouraging patients to either call their recent provider directly or to call a tele-nurse hotline, and will assess if these messages perform better than a control group that will not be sent any such message.
Generalized linear models will examine the primary study outcomes as a function of the study arms (between-subjects).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, care provider)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Throughout the study, patients will be randomized equally across all three arms.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | No intervention | –No intervention control group |
| Nudge: call provider | Experimental | Behavioral: message, Behavioral: providerThis group will receive a patient portal message the morning after completing their procedure. The message will encourage patients to call their recent Women's Health provider (with appropriate phone number listed) if any questions or concerns arise about their healthcare. |
| Nudge: call tele-nurse | Experimental | Behavioral: message, Behavioral: tele-nurseThis group will receive a patient portal message the morning after completing their procedure. The message will encourage patients to call Geisinger's nurse triage hotline (with appropriate phone number listed) if any questions or concerns arise about their healthcare. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Patient had a procedure in Women's Health within the study period (including both surgical and in-office procedures as well as baby delivery)
- Patient is enrolled in myGeisinger, Geisinger's patient portal
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- If procedure was labor that resulted in fetal demise or stillborn.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| messagepatient portal message | Behavioural | Nudge: call provider, Nudge: call tele-nurse |
| providernudging calling the patient's provider | Behavioural | Nudge: call provider |
| tele-nursenudging calling the tele-nurse | Behavioural | Nudge: call tele-nurse |
Primary outcome
Phone calls
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Proportion of patients who call the tele-nurse or their provider within 30 days of their appointment
ED utilization
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Proportion of patients who visit the ED within 30 days of their appointment
6 secondary outcomes
Phone calls
Time frame: 12 months
ED utilization
Time frame: 12 months
Phone calls - surgical patients only
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
ED utilization - surgical patients only
Time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first
Phone calls - surgical patients only
Time frame: 12 months
ED utilization - surgical patients only
Time frame: 12 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Jul 2023.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Data with no personally identifiable information will be made available to other researchers on the Open Science Framework for transparency.
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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.
Amir Goren, PhD principal investigator
Geisinger Clinic
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing message, provider and tele-nurse in people with Emergency Treatment and Telephone Hotlines, run by Geisinger Clinic at 1 site in United States.
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 2 inclusion and 1 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Jul 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Phone calls (time frame: 18 months or as long as it takes to reach N=17,300, whichever occurs first). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 18 Jul 2023.