Impact of Active Choice on Advance Directive Completion Rates

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1279 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-11-30

Study Completion Date

2015-10-31

Brief Summary

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The overall objective of this project is to assess if an active choice intervention can increase advance directive completion rates.

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Detailed Description

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Nearly 70% of Americans express the desire to die at home, and most individuals want to avoid aggressive or futile care. Despite this, more than half of Americans die in a hospital. Advance directives provide the opportunity to provide, in advance, one's wishes for end of life care, however their completion rates are low. The overall objective of this project is to assess if an active choice intervention can increase AD completion rates. Eligible participants for this study will be all new employees of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) who need to complete their online employment paperwork via the On Boarding portal. Participants will have an advanced health care planning task programmed as part of their On Boarding online employment paperwork. Upon selection of the task, each participant will be directed a designated Advance Healthcare Planning (AHCP) website. Participants will be randomized into either the active choice or control arm of the study and proceed through steps to complete or not complete an AD according to the decision making process of the given study arm. All participants in both groups will have access to additional online and telephone resources thought the entire study for any questions. Participants in the active choice group will be given directions stating they are required to complete either the advanced directive or the declination form in order to complete their On Boarding process. Participants in the control group will be given directions stating that completion of the AD is optional.

Conditions

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Advance Directive Completion

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Mandatory active choice

The mandatory active choice group will be presented two forms at the same time. The first form will be a legally valid AD. The second form will be a declination form. Participants in the intervention arm will be required to complete, and submit either of the two forms the task.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Mandatory active choice

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

the mandatory active choice group, will be presented two forms at the same time. The first form will be a legally valid AD. The second form will be a declination form. Participants in the intervention arm will be required to complete, and submit either of the two forms the task.

Control

Participants in the control group will be presented an AD form only and will be encouraged to complete, and submit the form without having to declare the choice of completing or declining the AD.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Mandatory active choice

the mandatory active choice group, will be presented two forms at the same time. The first form will be a legally valid AD. The second form will be a declination form. Participants in the intervention arm will be required to complete, and submit either of the two forms the task.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* New participants of the University of Pennsylvania Health System who have not yet completed their On Boarding process.
* 18 years of age or older
* Have proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking English