Using Text Messages to Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake

NCT04895683 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: 21SM6815
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120,000
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

COVID-19 vaccinations significantly reduce the risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19. Since December 2020, the UK has rolled out vaccinations according to the Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunity (JCVI) priority groups. However, despite data indicating that more than 90% of the UK population intends to get vaccinated, there are geographical and ethnic variations in vaccination acceptance. As younger cohorts with lower risk from COVID-19 become eligible for vaccination, it is expected that uptake rates may also be lower than they have been in previous cohorts. It was recently announced that a national NHS text message service will be introduced to invite individuals eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine to book a vaccination appointment. Many GP practices and CCGs have already implemented text messages to invite eligible residents and patients for the vaccine. However, recent research has shown that the message content of text messages inviting members of the public to other preventative health opportunities (e.g. personalised messages and GP-endorsements in cancer screening) can impact uptake. This 3-arm randomised controlled trial will be conducted across the Central London (CL) Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) which to-date has seen the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the country. The study aims to investigate the most effective text message strategy to inform local, regional and national practice. The intervention text message content to be tested is informed by behavioural science theory is personalised to include the recipient's name and GP practice name. All patients in the Central London CCG who are unvaccinated, aged 18-49, who have not declined the vaccine will be included as their cohort becomes eligible for vaccination according to the JCVI guidelines. The trial will compare the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination by trial arm at 3 and 8 weeks after the intervention is deployed.

Conditions

Covid19

Keywords

text message; vaccination; COVID-19

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• COVID-19 vaccination uptake at 3 weeks

  COVID-19 vaccination uptake at 3 weeks

  3 weeks from invitation text message

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• COVID-19 vaccination uptake at 8 weeks

  8 weeks from invitation text message

• COVID-19 vaccination uptake by demographics

  3 and 8 weeks

Study Arms (3)

Arm 1 - Control SMS

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Control (current practice) text message invitation

Behavioral: Text message content

Arm 2 - Behavioural Science informed SMS content

EXPERIMENTAL

Experimental text message invitation

Behavioral: Text message content

Arm 3 - Pre-alert and behavioural science informed SMS content

EXPERIMENTAL

Two text messages, including a pre-alert SMS and the text message intervention in trial arm 2.

Behavioral: Text message content

Interventions

Text message content BEHAVIORAL

Behavioural science-informed text messages aimed at improving COVID-19 vaccination uptake.

Arm 1 - Control SMS; Arm 2 - Behavioural Science informed SMS content; Arm 3 - Pre-alert and behavioural science informed SMS content

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 49 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Residents registered with a GP practice in the Central London (Westminster) Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
• Age 18-49
• Not previously invited for COVID-19 vaccination

You may not qualify if:

• Patients who have notified their GP that they wish to decline the COVID-19 vaccination.
• Patients' whose medical records report a severe allergy to medicines (as per the JCVI guidance)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust: lead
• Central London CCG: collaborator
• Imperial College Health Partners: collaborator
• Institute for Global Health Innovations: collaborator
• The Behavioural Insights Team: collaborator

Related Publications (1)

• Huf SW, Grailey K, Crespo RF, Woldmann L, Chisambi M, Skirrow H, Black K, Hassanpourfard B, Nguyen J, Klaber B, Darzi A. Testing the impact of differing behavioural science informed text message content in COVID-19 vaccination invitations on vaccine uptake: A randomised clinical trial. Vaccine. 2024 Apr 19;42(11):2919-2926. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.03.059. Epub 2024 Mar 28.

  PMID: 38553291 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

COVID-19

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Study Officials

• Sarah Huf, MBBS PhD

  Imperial College Health Care Trust

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sarah Huf, MBBS PhD

CONTACT

07496632732; s.huf@imperial.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The researcher conducting the data analysis will do so using a trial arm code. They will not have the key to unlock which trial arm is which.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: 3-armed parallel randomised controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 17, 2021
• First Posted: May 20, 2021
• Study Start: May 11, 2021
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2021
• Study Completion: May 11, 2022
• Last Updated: May 24, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share