Healthcare Providers as Trusted Messengers to Increase Receipt of Tax Credits Among Low-income Families

NCT05612685 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 22-001575
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 21
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to pilot test the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of healthcare provider referrals to a tax filing app within parent-child health programs to test whether such referrals can increase receipt of tax credits among low-income parents. The study will use a single-group, pre/post test design with a sample of parents who have a child under 6 years of age. Participants will be recruited from parental-child health programs and clinics in Los Angeles and will complete surveys at baseline, immediately after tax filing season, and six months after tax filing season to assess 1) frequency of tax filing after referral (Feasibility), and 2) pre/posttest changes to parent and child health (preliminary efficacy).

Conditions

Depression; Child Development; Stress; Physical Illness; Health Care Utilization

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Rate of Tax Filing at 3 Months: Did You File Taxes This Year? YES/NO

  Self-reported tax filing status for the current year

  3 months

• Rate of Tax Filing at 9 Months: Did You File Taxes This Year? YES/NO

  Self-reported tax filing status for the current year

  9 months

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Number of Parents With Positive Depression Score at Baseline

  Baseline

• Number of Parents With Positive Depression Score at 9 Months

  9 months

• Number of Children With Excellent or Very Good Responses Ratings on Child Development at 9 Months

  9 months

Study Arms (1)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

This arm will receive a healthcare provider referral to a tax filing app

Behavioral: Healthcare provider referral to a tax filing app

Interventions

Healthcare provider referral to a tax filing app BEHAVIORAL

Healthcare providers offer a referral to a tax filing app and briefly describe the potential benefits of tax credit receipt

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Income \<$75,000 per year
• One or more children under 6 years of age
• Has a valid tax filing ID (SSN or ITIN)
• Has access to an internet-enabled device

You may not qualify if:

• Experiencing an acute mental health crisis

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead

Study Sites (1)

UCLA School of Nursing

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression; Patient Acceptance of Health Care

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Treatment Adherence and Compliance; Health Behavior

Limitations and Caveats

As a single-group feasibility pilot with a small sample, this study cannot establish causal relationships or attribute patterns of findings to the intervention alone. There may have been temporal trends in health or social determinant of health risk related to non-study factors, such as ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic or natural disasters in California. We experienced participant attrition and the study inclusion criteria required for tax filing excluded potential participants.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Kristen Choi, Associate Professor
• Organization: UCLA

krchoi@ucla.edu

3107947493

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 20, 2022
• First Posted: November 10, 2022
• Study Start: January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: May 31, 2025
• Last Updated: September 22, 2025
• Results First Posted: September 22, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)