Use of Construal Level Theory to Inform Messaging to Increase Vaccination Against COVID-19
2 other identifiers
interventional
3,671
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This study aims to increase uptake of the COVID booster vaccine through messaging informed by Construal Level Theory. Patients in the Mass General Brigham (MGB) health system aged 18 and older who are eligible for the COVID booster vaccine, but who have not yet received a dose at the time of an upcoming primary care clinic visit, will be randomized to one of three messaging arms: 1) "why" messaging, 2) "how" messaging, or 3) standard of care ("usual care"). Messages will be sent via the electronic patient portal a few days in advance of their office visit. The primary outcome will be the rate of booster vaccination at the targeted visit. The secondary outcome will be the rate of receipt of a COVID booster vaccine within 6 weeks of the targeted visit. Subgroup analyses to assess for any association of patient characteristics with intervention responsiveness will be exploratory.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable covid19
Started Feb 2022
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
April 30, 2021
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
May 4, 2021
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
February 18, 2022
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
May 27, 2022
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
August 17, 2022
CompletedResults Posted
Study results publicly available
January 16, 2024
CompletedJanuary 16, 2024
December 1, 2023
3 months
April 30, 2021
May 5, 2023
December 22, 2023
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Number of Participants Who Received a Booster Vaccination Through the Targeted Visit
Number of participants who received one dose of a COVID booster vaccine between randomization through the date of the scheduled visit, determined through electronic health records.
2-5 days
Secondary Outcomes (1)
Number of Participants Who Received a Booster Vaccination Within 6 Weeks of the Targeted Visit
6 weeks after the target visit
Study Arms (3)
"Why" messaging
EXPERIMENTALIn this arm, patients will be sent an electronic patient portal message a few days in advance of their office visit. Messages will focus on reasons to get the COVID booster vaccine, including protecting self and loved ones or the idea of herd immunity.
"How" messaging
EXPERIMENTALIn this arm, patients will be sent an electronic patient portal message a few days in advance of their office visit. "How" messages will focus on the details of obtaining a vaccination at MGB, what to expect, and how to prepare for the visit.
Usual Care
ACTIVE COMPARATORIn this arm, patients will not receive any additional message about their upcoming visit, beyond what they already receive by the health system.
Interventions
Messages are informed by construal level theory, which suggests that emphasizing "why" elicits more abstract thinking, or high-level construals, and can induce an emotional mindset, which could challenge an individual's sense of identity, autonomy, or political preferences. Conversely, emphasizing "how" is more cognitive and evokes concrete thinking, or low-level construals, and encourages a planning or implementation mindset, which may be better for encouraging vaccine uptake.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Patients in the Mass General Brigham system
- Aged 18 and older
- Are eligible for the COVID booster vaccine but have not received a dose at time of upcoming primary care clinic visit
You may not qualify if:
- Documented allergy to a COVID vaccine or its components
- Home address outside of Massachusetts
- Did not receive full set of primary COVID-19 vaccination series
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Brigham and Women's Hospitallead
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)collaborator
Study Sites (1)
Mass General Brigham
Boston, Massachusetts, 02120, United States
Related Publications (1)
Haff N, Choudhry NK, Bhatkhande G, Keller PA, Robertson T, Oran R, Horn D, Crum KL, Oduol T, Hanken K, Lauffenburger JC. "How" Versus "Why" Messaging to Increase Uptake of Booster Vaccination Against COVID-19: Results of a Pragmatic Randomized Trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2024 Mar;39(4):611-618. doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08492-x. Epub 2023 Nov 6.
PMID: 37932539DERIVED
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Results Point of Contact
- Title
- Nancy Haff, MD, MPH
- Organization
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
Publication Agreements
- PI is Sponsor Employee
- Yes
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Associate Epidemiologist, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
April 30, 2021
First Posted
May 4, 2021
Study Start
February 18, 2022
Primary Completion
May 27, 2022
Study Completion
August 17, 2022
Last Updated
January 16, 2024
Results First Posted
January 16, 2024
Record last verified: 2023-12
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share