Behavioral Economic Incentives and Cancer Health Risk Assessment

NCT ID: NCT03068052

Last Updated: 2019-02-20

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 2000 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-05-08
• Study Completion Date: 2017-11-08

Brief Summary

This is an RCT among UPHS employees between ages 50-64 comparing no incentive and a loss-framed incentive for completing cancer health risk assessment. Those eligible will receive the phone number for direct colonoscopy scheduling, with the incentive arm receiving an additional unconditional incentive. The primary outcome is completion of screening colonoscopy. Secondary outcomes include scheduling of colonoscopy and completion of risk assessment.

Detailed Description

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite effective screening and treatment strategies, screening rates remain at 59-65%. UPHS employees have similarly limited rates of CRC screening despite having awareness, access, and insurance coverage. There is a need to identify those who are not up-to-date on screening and eligible for outreach in this population. Financial incentives informed by behavioral economic principles could be used to encourage self-report about screening status and completion of CRC screening. This research utilizes a digital health platform, Way to Health, to evaluate the feasibility of a cancer health risk assessment. This is a single-center RCT among UPHS employees between ages 50-64 that will randomize eligible participants into one of two study arms: (1) no incentive to complete cancer health risk assessment (no incentive) or (2) loss-framed incentive to complete cancer health risk assessment (incentive). Those that are eligible for screening will receive a direct access phone number to schedule colonoscopy, with an additional unconditional incentive for those in incentive arm. The primary outcome is completion of screening colonoscopy, with secondary outcomes of colonoscopy scheduling and completion of risk assessment.

Conditions

Cancer of the Colon

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SCREENING
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

No incentive

Colon cancer risk assessment and direct access colonoscopy scheduling for those that are eligible.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

No incentive

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Each participant will receive an email describing the importance of colorectal cancer screening and that they have been selected to receive a risk assessment. They will directed to an online platform where they will be asked about age, family history, and prior screening history. Those who are eligible for screening will be offered the VIP access phone number to schedule an appointment.

Incentive

Loss-framed incentive to participate in risk assessment and additional unconditional pro-social incentive to complete colorectal cancer screening.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Incentive

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Each participant will receive an email describing the importance of colorectal cancer screening and that they have been selected to receive a risk assessment, for which they will received a loss-framed incentive. They will directed to an online platform where they will be asked about age, family history, and prior screening history. Those who are eligible for screening will be offered the VIP access phone number to schedule an appointment and will receive an additional unconditional pro-social incentive.

Interventions

No incentive

Each participant will receive an email describing the importance of colorectal cancer screening and that they have been selected to receive a risk assessment. They will directed to an online platform where they will be asked about age, family history, and prior screening history. Those who are eligible for screening will be offered the VIP access phone number to schedule an appointment.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Incentive

Each participant will receive an email describing the importance of colorectal cancer screening and that they have been selected to receive a risk assessment, for which they will received a loss-framed incentive. They will directed to an online platform where they will be asked about age, family history, and prior screening history. Those who are eligible for screening will be offered the VIP access phone number to schedule an appointment and will receive an additional unconditional pro-social incentive.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• male and female UPHS employees between the ages 50-64
• those who live within 30 miles of the main endoscopy sites

• Minimum Eligible Age: 50 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 64 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Pennsylvania

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Shivan J Mehta

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Shivan Mehta, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pennsylvania

Locations

University of Pennsylvania Health System

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Countries

United States

References

Mehta SJ, Reitz C, Niewood T, Volpp KG, Asch DA. Effect of Behavioral Economic Incentives for Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Randomized Trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021 Aug;19(8):1635-1641.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2020.06.047. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 32623005 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

UL1TR001878

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

826739

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id