Electronic Health Record Portal Messages and Interactive Voice Response Calls to Improve Rates of Early Season Influenza Vaccination: Randomized Controlled Trial

The effect of adding physician recommendation in digitally-enabled outreach for COVID-19 vaccination in socially/economically disadvantaged populations

INTRODUCTION

People from backgrounds that are economically/socially disadvantaged experienced disproportionately high COVID-19 death rates and had lower vaccination rates. Effective outreach strategies for increasing vaccine uptake during the pandemic are not fully known. Among patients receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center, we tested whether community engaged digitally-enabled outreach from a trusted clinician messenger increased COVID vaccine uptake.

STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A 3-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial with a hybrid effectiveness-implementation design was conducted among patients ≥ 18 years old on study enrollment during 2021 with 1,650 assigned in 3:10:20 ratio; 2,328 were later selected for two subsequent implementation rounds.

INTERVENTIONS

From April 13 to June 10, 2021, patients were proactively sent a text-messaging invitation to make an appointment for vaccination as part of the routine practice with a link to frequently asked questions (Arm 1, n = 150) with added personalized clinician recommendation alone (Arm 2, n = 500) or with enabled 2-way SMS messaging feature (Arm 3, n = 1,000). Further implementation used messaging addressing vaccine hesitancy (n = 1,323) or adverse reactions to vaccines (n = 1,005).

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was the completion of the first SARS-Cov-2 vaccine dose determined at 14, 30 and 90 days after outreach.

RESULTS

Of 1,650 patients in effectiveness Arms, 61% was female. Vaccination rates for Arms 1, 2, and 3, were 6% (n = 9), 5.4% (n = 27) and 3.3% (n = 33) at 14 days, and 11.5% (n = 17), 11.6% (n = 58), and 8.5% (n = 85) at 90 days, respectively, which were similar in pairwise comparisons. At 90 days, vaccination rates were similar across the two implementation rounds (3.9% vs. 3.6%) and were similar to the rate (3.3%) among patients who were not selected for intervention arms or implementation rounds (n = 8,671).

CONCLUSIONS

Digitally-enabled outreach that included SMS messaging outreach augmented with clinician recommendations did not improve COVID-19 vaccination rates.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study is registered at ClinicalTrails.gov Identifier: NC-T04952376.

The Effect of Adding Physician Recommendation in Digitally-Enabled Outreach for COVID-19 Vaccination in Socially/Economically Disadvantaged Populations Subtitle: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction

People from backgrounds that are economically/socially disadvantaged experienced disproportionately high COVID-19 death rates and had lower vaccination rates. Effective outreach strategies for increasing vaccine uptake during the pandemic are not fully known. Among patients receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center, we tested whether community engaged digitally-enabled outreach increased COVID vaccine uptake.

Study Design Setting and Participants

A 3-parallel-arm randomized controlled trial with a hybrid effectiveness-implementation design was conducted among patients ≥18 years old on study enrollment during 2021 with 1,650 assigned in 3:10:20 ratio; 2,328 were later selected for two subsequent implementation rounds.

Interventions

From April 13 to June 10, 2021, patients were proactively sent a text-messaging invitation to make an appointment for vaccination as part of the routine practice (Arm 1, n=150) with added personalized clinician recommendation alone (Arm 2, n=500) or with an explicit nudge for answers to frequently asked questions (Arm 3, n=1,000). Further implementation used messaging addressing vaccine hesitancy (n=1,323) or adverse reactions to vaccines (n=1,005).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the completion of the first SARS-Cov-2 vaccine dose determined at 14, 30 and 90 days after outreach.

Results

Of 1,650 patients in effectiveness Arms, 61% was female. Vaccination rates for Arms 1, 2, and 3, were 6% (n=9), 5.4% (n=27) and 3.3% (n=33) at 14 days, and 11.5% (n=17), 11.6% (n=58), and 8.5% (n=85) at 90 days, respectively, which were similar in pairwise comparisons. At 90 days, vaccination rates were similar across the two implementation rounds (3.9% vs. 3.6%) and were similar to the rate (3.3%) among patients who were not selected for intervention arms or implementation rounds (n=8,671).

Conclusions

Digitally-enabled outreach that included SMS messaging outreach augmented with clinician recommendations did not improve COVID-19 vaccination rates.

Trial Registration

This study is registered at ClinicalTrails.gov Identifier: NC-T04952376.

Embedding research study recruitment within the patient portal preCheck-in

OBJECTIVE

Patient portals are increasingly used to recruit patients in research studies, but communication response rates remain low without tactics such as financial incentives or manual outreach. We evaluated a new method of study enrollment by embedding a study information sheet and HIPAA authorization form (HAF) into the patient portal preCheck-in (where patients report basic information like allergies).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eligible patients who enrolled received an after-visit patient-reported outcomes survey through the patient portal. No additional recruitment/messaging efforts were made.

RESULTS

A total of 386 of 843 patients completed preCheck-in, 308 of whom signed the HAF and enrolled in the study (37% enrollment rate). Of 93 patients who were eligible to receive the after-visit survey, 45 completed it (48% completion rate).

CONCLUSION

Enrollment and survey completion rates were higher than what is typically seen with recruitment by patient portal messaging, suggesting that preCheck-in recruitment can enhance research study recruitment and warrants further investigation.

Visit and Between-Visit Interaction Frequency Before and After COVID-19 Telehealth Implementation

Importance

Telehealth implementation associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) affected patient-clinical team interactions in numerous ways. Yet, studies have narrowly examined billed patient-clinician visits rather than including visits with other team members (eg, pharmacists) or between-visit interactions.

Objective

To evaluate rates of change over time in visits (in-person, telehealth) and between-visit interactions (telephone calls, patient portal messages) overall and by key patient characteristics.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cohort study included adults with diabetes receiving primary care at urban academic (University of California San Francisco [UCSF]) and safety-net (San Francisco Health Network [SFHN]) health care systems. Encounters from April 2019 to March 2021 were analyzed.

Exposure

Telehealth implementation over 3 periods: pre-PHE (April 2019 to March 2020), strict shelter-in-place (April to June 2020), and hybrid-PHE (July 2020 to March 2021).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcomes were rates of change in monthly mean number of total encounters, visits with any health care team member, visits with billing clinicians, and between-visit interactions. Key patient-level characteristics were age, race and ethnicity, language, and neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES).

Results

Of 15 148 patients (4976 UCSF; 8975 SFHN) included, 2464 (16%) were 75 years or older, 7734 (51%) were female patients, 9823 (65%) self-identified as racially or ethnically minoritized, 6223 (41%) had a non-English language preference, and 4618 (31%) lived in the lowest nSES quintile. After accounting for changes to care delivery through an interrupted time-series analysis, total encounters increased in the hybrid-PHE period (UCSF: 2.3% per patient/mo; 95% CI, 1.6%-2.9% per patient/mo; SFHN: 1.8% per patient/mo, 95% CI, 1.3%-2.2% per patient/mo), associated primarily with growth in between-visit interactions (UCSF: 3.1% per patient/mo, 95% CI, 2.3%-3.8% per patient/mo; SFHN: 2.9% per patient/mo, 95% CI, 2.3%-3.4% per patient/mo). In contrast, rates of visits were stable during the hybrid-PHE period. Although there were fewer differences in visit use by key patient-level characteristics during the hybrid-PHE period, pre-PHE differences in between-visit interactions persisted during the hybrid-PHE period at SFHN. Asian and Chinese-speaking patients at SFHN had fewer monthly mean between-visit interactions compared with White patients (0.46 [95% CI, 0.42-0.50] vs 0.59 [95% CI, 0.53-0.66] between-visit interactions/patient/mo; P < .001) and English-speaking patients (0.52 [95% CI, 0.47-0.58] vs 0.61 [95% CI, 0.56-0.66] between-visit interactions/patient/mo; P = .03).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, pre-PHE growth in overall patient-clinician encounters persisted after PHE-related telehealth implementation, driven in both periods by between-visit interactions. Differential utilization based on patient characteristics was observed, which may indicate disparities. The implications for health care team workload and patient outcomes are unknown, particularly regarding between-visit interactions. Therefore, to comprehensively understand care utilization for patients with chronic diseases, research should expand beyond billed visits.

Patient Engagement in Patient Portals in Appalachia v. Surrounding U.S. Census Regions: An Analysis of HINTS (Health Information National Trends Survey) Data, 2017-2020

Introduction

Those living in the Appalachian Region face a greater number of significant health disparities than residents of other areas of the U.S. Patient portals can decrease disparities, increase health literacy, and improve health outcomes.

Purpose

This study explores if those living in the Appalachian Region are offered access to and use their patient portals differently than those in the surrounding U.S. Census regions. Additionally, the study aims to determine if there was a difference in reported reasons for the non-use of patient portals.

Methods

A secondary analysis was completed using data from the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) (2017-2020), a nationally representative survey. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to determine differences in patient portal use between regions.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the Appalachian and surrounding U.S. Census regions in being offered access to patient portals. However, there was a statistically significant difference (non-weighted) between regions in the use of patient portals. Common reasons for the non-use of patient portals were a preference to speak directly to the provider and the lack of perceived need to use the portal.

Implications

Providers in the Appalachian Region should be aware of the non-use of patient portals. Moreover, understanding the reported reasons for non-use may help providers tailor educational materials to increase patient portal use.

Nationwide Utilization of Danish Government Electronic letter system for increasing inFLUenza vaccine uptake (NUDGE-FLU): Study protocol for a nationwide randomized implementation trial

BACKGROUND

Annual influenza vaccination is widely recommended in older adults and other high-risk groups including patients with cardiovascular disease. The real-world effectiveness of influenza vaccination is limited by suboptimal uptake and effective strategies for increasing vaccination rates are therefore needed. The purpose of this trial is to investigate whether behavioral nudges digitally delivered via the Danish nationwide mandatory governmental electronic letter system can increase influenza vaccination uptake among older adults.

METHODS

The NUDGE-FLU trial is a randomized implementation trial randomizing all Danish citizens aged 65 years and above without an exemption from the Danish mandatory governmental electronic letter system to receive no digitally delivered behavioral nudge (usual care arm) or to receive one of 9 electronic letters (intervention arms) each leveraging different behavioral science strategies. The trial has randomized 964,870 participants with randomization clustered at the household level (n = 691,820 households). Intervention letters were delivered on September 16, 2022, and follow-up is currently ongoing. All trial data are captured using the nationwide Danish administrative health registries. The primary end point is the receipt of an influenza vaccine on or before January 1, 2023. The secondary end point is time to vaccination. Exploratory end points include clinical events such as hospitalization for influenza or pneumonia, cardiovascular events, all-cause hospitalization, and all-cause mortality.

DISCUSSION

The nationwide randomized NUDGE-FLU trial is one of the largest implementation trials ever conducted and will provide important insights into effective communication strategies to maximize vaccination uptake among high-risk groups.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05542004, registered September 15, 2022, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05542004.

Evaluation of behavioral economic strategies to raise influenza vaccination rates across a health system: Results from a randomized clinical trial

Influenza vaccination rates are low. Working with a large US health system, we evaluated three health system-wide interventions using the electronic health record's patient portal to improve influenza vaccination rates. We performed a two-arm RCT with a nested factorial design within the treatment arm, randomizing patients to usual-care control (no portal interventions) or to one or more portal interventions. We included all patients within this health system during the 2020-2021 influenza vaccination season, which overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the patient portal, we simultaneously tested: pre-commitment messages (sent September 2020, asking patients to commit to a vaccination); monthly portal reminders (October - December 2020), direct appointment scheduling (patients could self-schedule influenza vaccination at multiple sites); and pre-appointment reminder messages (sent before scheduled primary care appointments, reminding patients about influenza vaccination). The main outcome measure was receipt of influenza vaccine (10/01/2020-03/31/2021). We randomized 213,773 patients (196,070 adults ≥18 years, 17,703 children). Influenza vaccination rates overall were low (39.0%). Vaccination rates for study arms did not differ: Control (38.9%), pre-commitment vs no pre-commitment (39.2%/38.9%), direct appointment scheduling yes/no (39.1%/39.1%), pre-appointment reminders yes/no (39.1%/39.1%); p > 0.017 for all comparisons (p value cut-off adjusted for multiple comparisons). After adjusting for age, gender, insurance, race, ethnicity, and prior influenza vaccination, none of the interventions increased vaccination rates. We conclude that patient portal interventions to remind patients to receive influenza vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic did not raise influenza immunization rates. More intensive or tailored interventions are needed beyond portal innovations to increase influenza vaccination.

Effect of Electronic Outreach Using Patient Portal Messages on Well Child Care Visit Completion: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Outreach messages to patients overdue for well child care (WCC) can be delivered different ways (ie, telephone calls and text messages). Use of electronic health record patient portals is increasingly common but their effectiveness is uncertain.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness of patient portal outreach messages, with and without the date of the last WCC, on the scheduling and completion of WCC visits and completion of vaccinations.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

An intention-to-treat, multigroup, randomized clinical trial was conducted at 3 academic primary care practices from July 30 to October 4, 2021. The population included predominantly non-Hispanic Black, low-income children (age, 6-17 years) whose parent had an active portal account.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants were randomized to the standard message, tailored message, or no message (control) group. Two messages were delivered to those in the message groups.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Outcomes included WCC visit scheduled within 2 weeks of the first intervention message, WCC visit completed within 8 weeks (primary outcome), and receipt of COVID-19 vaccine within 8 weeks.

RESULTS

Nine hundred forty-five patients participated (mean [SD] age, 9.9 [3.3] years, 493 [52.2%] girls, 590 [62.4%] non-Hispanic Black, 807 [85.4%] publicly insured). Scheduling rates were 18.4% in the standard message group (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 1.97; 95% CI, 1.32-2.84) and 14.9% in the tailored message group (aRR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.02-2.34) compared with the control group (9.5%). Well child care visit completion rates were 24.1% in the standard message group (aRR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.38-2.60) and 19.4% in the tailored message group (aRR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.06-2.13) compared with the control group (12.7%). Among eligible children, rates of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine were 16.7% in the standard message group compared with 4.8% in the tailored message (aRR, 3.41; 95% CI, 1.14-9.58) and 3.7% in the control groups (aRR, 4.84; 95% CI, 1.44-15.12).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this randomized clinical trial, outreach messages delivered via electronic health record patient portals increased the rates of scheduling and completing WCC visits and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, providing a useful tool to help restore WCC in populations whose care was delayed during the pandemic.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04994691.

A Commentary on Process Improvements to Reduce Manual Tasks and Paper at Covid-19 Mass Vaccination Points of Dispensing in California

My Turn is software used to manage several Covid-19 mass vaccination campaigns in California. The objective of this article is to describe the use of My Turn at two points of dispensing in California and comment on process improvements to reduce manual tasks of six identified processes of vaccination–registration, scheduling, administration, documentation, follow-up, and digital vaccine record–and paper. We reviewed publicly available documents of My Turn and patients vaccinated at George R. Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco and Oakland Coliseum Community Vaccination Clinic. For publicly available documents of My Turn, we examined videos of My Turn on YouTube, and documentation from EZIZ, the website for the California Vaccines for Children Program. For patients, we examined publicly available vaccination record cards on Instagram and Google. At the George R. Moscone Convention Center, 329,608 vaccines doses were given. At the Oakland Coliseum Community Vaccination Clinic, more than 500,000 vaccine doses were administered. The use of My Turn can be used to reduce manual tasks and paper for mass vaccinating patients against Covid-19.

A meta-analysis of influenza vaccination following correspondence: Considerations for COVID-19

Background

High vaccination rates are needed to protect against influenza and to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Health authorities need to know if supplementing mass communications with direct correspondence to the community would increase uptake.

Objectives

The primary objective is to determine if sending a single written message directly to individuals increases influenza vaccine uptake, and a secondary objective is to identify any identified content shown to increase influenza vaccine uptake.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and PubMed were searched for RCTs testing a single correspondence for members of the community in OECD countries to obtain influenza vaccination. A meta-analysis with inverse-variance, random-effects modelling was used to estimate a mean, weighted risk ratio effect size measure of vaccine uptake. Studies were quality assessed and analysis was undertaken to account for potential publication bias.

Results

Twenty-eight randomized controlled trials were included, covering 45 interventions. Of the 45 interventions, 37 (82.2%) report an increase in influenza vaccination rates. A formal meta-analysis shows that sending a single written message increased influenza vaccine uptake by 16%, relative to the no contact comparator group (RR = 1.16, 95% CI [1.13-1.20], Z = 9.25, p < .001). Analysis shows that the intervention is effective across correspondence type, age group, time, and location, and after allowing for risk of publication bias.

Limitations

The generalizability of results across the OECD may be questioned.

Conclusions and implications

The implication for public health authorities organizing vaccination programs for influenza, and arguably also for COVID-19, is that sending written vaccination correspondence to members of the community is likely to increase uptake. Keywords: vaccine uptake, COVID-19, influenza, direct correspondence, meta-analysis.

This study is pre-registered on osf.io; details can be found at https://osf.io/98mr7

A rapid global review of strategies to improve influenza vaccination uptake in Australia

This study aimed to identify effective strategies for improving the uptake of influenza vaccination and to inform recommendations for influenza vaccination programs in Australia. A rapid systematic review was conducted to assimilate and synthesize peer-reviewed articles identified in PubMed. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Hierarchy of Evidence was used to appraise the quality of evidence. A systematic search identified 4373 articles and 52 that met the inclusion criteria were included. The evidence suggests influenza vaccination uptake may be improved by interventions that (1) increase community/patient demand and access to influenza vaccine and overcome practice-related barriers; (2) reinforce the critical role healthcare providers play in driving influenza vaccination uptake. Strategies such as standing orders, reminder and recall efforts were successful in improving influenza vaccination rates. Community pharmacies, particularly in regional/remote areas, are well positioned to improve influenza vaccine coverage. The findings of this rapid review can be utilized to improve the performance of influenza immunization programs in Australia and other countries with comparable programs; and recommend priorities for future evaluation of interventions to improve influenza vaccination uptake.