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NCT03850431 · ClinicalTrials.gov registry record · NA
Using Behavioral Economics to Enhance Appointment Reminders and Reduce Missed Visits
A NA study of Appointment Reminders, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development.
- Completed
- Registry status
- NA
- Development phase
- 34,516
- Enrollment target
- 1
- Study location
NCT03850431: Completed NA study of Appointment Reminders, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development.
NCT03850431 is a NA study of Appointment Reminders that has completed, run by VA Office of Research and Development. The registered enrollment target is 34,516 participants, above the 1,403-participant average among 58,714 other NA trials with a reported enrollment target (2360% higher). The trial reports 1 study location across 1 state. According to ClinicalTrials.gov, the official US trial registry.
The verdict
NCT03850431, a NA study of Appointment Reminders, has completed, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development.
- COMPLETED
- Registry status
- NA
- Development phase
- 34,516 participants
- Enrollment target
- 1
- Study location
Study Summary
"No-shows," or missed visits are a persistent problem in all health care systems. They contribute to worsened patient access, longer wait times, and inefficient use limited health care resources. The VA's no-show rate has shown no improvement in years, resulting in a staggering 9 million ambulatory no-shows in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015. Appointment reminders are an essential and proven element to addressing no-shows but major research gaps exist. Behavioral economics (BE) and allied fields offer key insights that are relevant to developing innovation in the field of appointment reminders. Adding "nudges" informed by concepts such as social norms, behavioral intentions, clear instructions, and potential negative consequences to the Veteran and others is a novel but evidence-based way to create enhanced appointment reminders. Seemingly small changes to appointment letters can create measurable shifts in appointment attendance and no-shows. Even more, these behavioral nudges can produce large benefits when taken to scale and compounded across a population. This project will address several aims, including: developing BE-informed messages to incorporate into enhanced appointment reminders; evaluating the effect of several versions of enhanced appointment reminders; and identifying potential barriers and facilitators to widespread implementation of enhanced appointment reminder messages.
Primary Outcome
The percentage of total appointments that are classified as a no-show, relative to the total number of appointments scheduled. The numerator ("no-shows") consists of appointments marked as a no-show and appointments canceled by the patient or clinic after the appointment time. The denominator ("total appointments") consists of no-shows and completed appointments. For calculation of missed appointments, canceled appointments are not included in the number of units analyzed. The numerator is multi
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL Social Norms + Behavioral Instructions
- BEHAVIORAL Caring + Consequences for Others + Behavioral Instructions
- BEHAVIORAL Caring + Consequences for Self + Behavioral Instructions
- BEHAVIORAL Caring + Consequences for Others + Consequences for Self + Social Norms + Behavioral Instructions
Study Locations (1)
Oregon
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR - Portland
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 34,516 participants |
| Start Date | 2019-12-17 |
| Est. Completion | 2021-10-14 |
| Phase | NA |
What the finished NCT03850431 record still lists
NCT03850431 is an interventional study that assigns participants to a tested intervention. Its 34,516 participants enrollment target places it among the larger protocols in the corpus, above the 1,403-participant average among 58,714 other NA trials with a reported enrollment target (2360% higher).
The record links to 1 condition, with Appointment Reminders appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 4 interventions - of which Social Norms + Behavioral Instructions is the first listed.
NCT03850431 reports a single indexed study location in Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT03850431 about?
NCT03850431 is a clinical study titled "Using Behavioral Economics to Enhance Appointment Reminders and Reduce Missed Visits". "No-shows," or missed visits are a persistent problem in all health care systems. They contribute to worsened patient access, longer wait times, and inefficient use limited health care resources. The VA's no-show rate has shown no improvement in years, resulting in a staggering 9 million ambulatory ...
What is the current status of trial NCT03850431?
This trial is currently completed. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 34,516 participants. The study started on 2019-12-17. Estimated completion is 2021-10-14.
What conditions does trial NCT03850431 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Appointment Reminders.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT03850431?
The interventions under investigation include: Social Norms + Behavioral Instructions (BEHAVIORAL), Caring + Consequences for Others + Behavioral Instructions (BEHAVIORAL), Caring + Consequences for Self + Behavioral Instructions (BEHAVIORAL), Caring + Consequences for Others + Consequences for Self + Social Norms + Behavioral Instructions (BEHAVIORAL).
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT03850431?
This trial is sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development, which has 1,668 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Where is trial NCT03850431 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Oregon. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
Learn More About Clinical Trials
How this trial's enrollment target compares
Where NCT03850431's enrollment target sits among peer trials
34,516 8th of 2000 higher than 1,993 of 2,000 other NA trials
participants (enrollment target), bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more other NA trials. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov registry export · 2026-08-08
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