Take 2 Pills and Go Volunteer in the Morning

NCT ID: NCT04038775

Last Updated: 2019-07-31

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-05-28
• Study Completion Date: 2020-01-31

Brief Summary

In this study, doctors will "prescribe" volunteer work for their patients. The investigators are determining whether it is feasible for providers to recommend volunteering to their patients, and whether patients who are recommended this "treatment" actually do volunteer work (i.e., find it "acceptable"). The study is focused on uninsured patients at Loyola Medicine's Access to Care (ATC) Clinic. The study's secondary aim is to determine whether or not engaging in volunteer work yields health benefits.

Detailed Description

In this feasibility study, doctors will "prescribe" volunteer work for their patients. The setting is Loyola Medicine's Access to Care Clinic, which serves patients who are low-income and uninsured (and often members of racial/ethnic minority groups). The investigators are determining whether it is feasible for providers in a low-resourced primary care setting to recommend volunteering to their patients, and whether patients who are recommended this "treatment" actually do volunteer work (and how much). The investigators are also interested in measuring whether volunteering is associated with any potential health benefits, specifically well-being and self-esteem.

Promoting volunteerism is the intervention because research evidence suggests that volunteer work may be good for one's health. For example, research shows that volunteering is associated with numerous potential health benefits: improved mental health, increased physical activity, higher preventive health care utilization, lower cardiovascular risk and lower mortality. Besides better health, volunteering also can teach valuable skills, help individuals meet others, and foster new relationships.

Despite all these potential benefits, rates of volunteering are low. Overall, just one in four people volunteers. Additionally, people who have lower incomes are less likely to volunteer (14% of people with incomes below $20,000 vs. 35% of people with incomes above $100,000. And minority groups are less likely to volunteer than whites (just 19% of African Americans and 15% of Latinos compared with 26% of Whites).

Thus, the intervention is aimed to increase volunteer participation rates among groups unlikely to volunteer: low-income uninsured persons who are members of racial/ethnic minority groups.

Conditions

Volunteers

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Volunteering

The experimental arm will receive a volunteer "prescription" from their provider and assistance from a study team member to find a volunteer job.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Volunteering

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Subjects recommended volunteer by their provider.

Control

The control arm will not be recommended to volunteer or assisted in finding a volunteer activity. They will answer the same survey questions as the intervention subjects.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Volunteering

Subjects recommended volunteer by their provider.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

• None

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Loyola University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Julie Darnell

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Julie S Darnell, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Loyola University Chicago

Locations

Access to Care Clinic

Maywood, Illinois, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Julie S Darnell, PhD

Role: CONTACT

jdarnell1@luc.edu

708-327-9022

Facility Contacts

Matt Fitz, MD

Role: primary

mfitz1@luc.edu

708-216-8757

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

210989

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id