COVID-19NCT05080179
Impact of Nudges on Downloads of COVID-19 Exposure Notification Smartphone Apps: A Randomized Trial
A study testing Self-Benefit/Social Norm, Self-Benefit/No Social Norm and Other Benefit/Social Norm in people with COVID-19, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Eligible participants who were active beneficiaries of a large insurer living in Pennsylvania were sent an email encouraging them to download the contact tracing app in Pennsylvania, COVID Alert PA. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (Self-benefit vs. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- COVID-19
- What is being tested?
- Self-Benefit/Social Norm, Self-Benefit/No Social Norm and Other Benefit/Social Norm
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 16,903 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 11 Dec 2020to 28 Jan 2021
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Eligible participants were active beneficiaries of a large insurer living in Pennsylvania.
Who cannot join
- Participants who did not subscribe to offers and promotions emails were excluded, as were Medigap beneficiaries.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Independence Blue Cross (IBX)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146
About this study
Official title: The Interactive Effect of Social Norm and Self (vs. Others) Benefit Nudges on Downloads of COVID-19 Exposure Notification Smartphone Apps: A Randomized Trial
Eligible participants who were active beneficiaries of a large insurer living in Pennsylvania were sent an email encouraging them to download the contact tracing app in Pennsylvania, COVID Alert PA.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (Self-benefit vs. Other-Benefit) x 2 (Social Norms Present vs. Social Norms absent) design.
Read more
All participants received an email that said :
"COVID Alert PA is the official Exposure Notification App from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Join Penn Medicine in the fight against COVID-19 and download COVID Alert PA today!"
---Investigators manipulated the content here---
"The app uses Bluetooth to sense when one person is in close contact with another person with the app. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, and they decide to upload the information to the health department, people who have the app and who have been in contact with them will be alerted.
If you are interested in downloading the app, please click COVID Alert PA. We appreciate you joining our efforts. Together we can beat COVID-19!"
In the Other-Benefit condition, it said: "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community."
In the Self-Benefit condition, it said: "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it."
In the Social Norms Present condition, it said: "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!"
In the Social Norms Absent condition, it said the statement about social norms above.
Participants who do not open the initial email received a follow-up email.
- Conditions
- COVID-19
- Being tested
- Self-Benefit/Social Norm, Self-Benefit/No Social Norm, Other Benefit/Social Norm, Other Benefit/No Social Norm
- Medical subject headings
- COVID-19
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Self-Benefit/Social NormBehavioural
As part of their email, they will read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!"
Self-Benefit/No Social NormBehavioural
As part of their email, they will read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." They will not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app.
Other Benefit/Social NormBehavioural
As part of their email, they will read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!"
Other Benefit/No Social NormBehavioural
As part of their email, they will read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." They will not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Benefit/Social Norm | Experimental | As part of their email, they read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!" Receives: Behavioral: Self-Benefit/Social Norm |
| Self-Benefit/No Social Norm | Experimental | As part of their email, they read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." They did not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app. Receives: Behavioral: Self-Benefit/No Social Norm |
| Other Benefit/Social Norm | Experimental | As part of their email, they read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!" Receives: Behavioral: Other Benefit/Social Norm |
| Other Benefit/No Social Norm | Experimental | As part of their email, they read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." They did not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app. Receives: Behavioral: Other Benefit/No Social Norm |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Click on Link to Download COVID Alert PA App
The investigators measured choice to click on the link to download the COVID Alert PA app or not, conditional on opening the email. Because participants may not immediately open their e-mail, or may return to the e-mail to click the link, we allowed for a period of approximately 7 weeks or 48 days from date of initial e-mail for completion of outcome measure.
Measured: 48 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Oct 2021
- Study start11 Dec 2020
- Primary completion28 Jan 2021
- Study completion28 Jan 2021
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for COVID-19Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Model description
- This is a 2 (Self-Benefit vs. Other-Benefit) x 2 (Social Norm vs. No Social Norm) design. There are thus four conditions total.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 16,903 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05080179
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 844564
- Status last verified
- Oct 2022
- First submitted
- 12 Oct 2021
- Last updated
- 28 Aug 2023
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Aug 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Interactive Effect of Social Norm and Self (vs. Others) Benefit Nudges on Downloads of COVID-19 Exposure Notification Smartphone Apps: A Randomized Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05080179
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 844564
- Conditions
- COVID-19
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 16,903 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
- Study start
- 11 Dec 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Jan 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Jan 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Oct 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 28 Aug 2023
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Eligible participants who were active beneficiaries of a large insurer living in Pennsylvania were sent an email encouraging them to download the contact tracing app in Pennsylvania, COVID Alert PA.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (Self-benefit vs. Other-Benefit) x 2 (Social Norms Present vs. Social Norms absent) design.
All participants received an email that said :
"COVID Alert PA is the official Exposure Notification App from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Join Penn Medicine in the fight against COVID-19 and download COVID Alert PA today!"
---Investigators manipulated the content here---
"The app uses Bluetooth to sense when one person is in close contact with another person with the app. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, and they decide to upload the information to the health department, people who have the app and who have been in contact with them will be alerted.
If you are interested in downloading the app, please click COVID Alert PA. We appreciate you joining our efforts. Together we can beat COVID-19!"
In the Other-Benefit condition, it said: "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community."
In the Self-Benefit condition, it said: "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it."
In the Social Norms Present condition, it said: "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!"
In the Social Norms Absent condition, it said the statement about social norms above.
Participants who do not open the initial email received a follow-up email.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- This is a 2 (Self-Benefit vs. Other-Benefit) x 2 (Social Norm vs. No Social Norm) design. There are thus four conditions total.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Benefit/Social Norm | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-Benefit/Social NormAs part of their email, they read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!" |
| Self-Benefit/No Social Norm | Experimental | Behavioral: Self-Benefit/No Social NormAs part of their email, they read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." They did not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app. |
| Other Benefit/Social Norm | Experimental | Behavioral: Other Benefit/Social NormAs part of their email, they read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!" |
| Other Benefit/No Social Norm | Experimental | Behavioral: Other Benefit/No Social NormAs part of their email, they read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." They did not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Eligible participants were active beneficiaries of a large insurer living in Pennsylvania.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Participants who did not subscribe to offers and promotions emails were excluded, as were Medigap beneficiaries.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Benefit/Social NormAs part of their email, they will read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!" | Behavioural | Self-Benefit/Social Norm |
| Self-Benefit/No Social NormAs part of their email, they will read, "It can help you determine where and when to get testing, and how to get care if you need it." They will not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app. | Behavioural | Self-Benefit/No Social Norm |
| Other Benefit/Social NormAs part of their email, they will read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." and "Over 650,000 Pennsylvanians have already downloaded the app!" | Behavioural | Other Benefit/Social Norm |
| Other Benefit/No Social NormAs part of their email, they will read, "It can help you reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to your friends, family, and larger community." They will not read any information about the number of Pennsylvanians who downloaded the app. | Behavioural | Other Benefit/No Social Norm |
Primary outcome
Click on Link to Download COVID Alert PA App
Time frame: 48 days
The investigators measured choice to click on the link to download the COVID Alert PA app or not, conditional on opening the email. Because participants may not immediately open their e-mail, or may return to the e-mail to click the link, we allowed for a period of approximately 7 weeks or 48 days from date of initial e-mail for completion of outcome measure.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Aug 2023.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Self-Benefit/Social Norm, Self-Benefit/No Social Norm and Other Benefit/Social Norm in people with COVID-19, run by University of Pennsylvania 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 1 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 28 Aug 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 28 Aug 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Click on Link to Download COVID Alert PA App (time frame: 48 days). 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 28 Aug 2023.