Limits of the Social Benefit Motive Among High-risk Patients: a Field Experiment on Influenza Vaccination Behaviour

Overview

Influenza vaccine uptake remains low worldwide, inflicting substantial costs to public health and health systems. Messages promoting social welfare have been shown to increase vaccination intentions, and it has been recommended that health professionals communicate the socially beneficial aspects of vaccination. This study aims to provide the first test whether this prosocial vaccination hypothesis applies to the actual vaccination behaviour of high-risk patients by comparing the effects of two motivational messages for promoting vaccination at a tertiary care public hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.

Full Title of Study: “Limits of the Social Benefit Motive Among High-risk Patients: a Field Experiment on Influenza”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Prevention
    • Masking: Double (Care Provider, Investigator)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: March 25, 2017

Interventions

  • Behavioral: Self-benefit message
    • A pamphlet consisting of a short text and an abstract figure. The top half of the pamphlet described the official criteria for qualifying to be in the risk group. Bottom half indicated that one can gain immunity against influenza by getting the vaccine and included a figure of one smiley face.
  • Behavioral: Other-benefit message
    • A pamphlet consisting of a short text and an abstract figure. The top half of the pamphlet described the official criteria for qualifying to be in the risk group. Bottom half indicated that one can gain immunity against influenza by getting the vaccine, and gaining immunity would lower the chances of transmitting the disease to others. The figure included one smiley face surrounded by three other smiley faces.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: Self-benefit arm
  • Active Comparator: Social-benefit arm

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Vaccine uptake following the introduction of the pamphlet
    • Time Frame: On the same day, upto 24 hours
    • Difference in the number of patients in each arm who agree to receive influenza vaccine following the introduction of the pamphlet. The first half of the pamphlet contains information about the the influenza vaccine and the risk groups who are vulnerable to influenza-associated serious diseases. The second half introduces the self-benefit message. And the final part asks if the participant wants to receive the influenza vaccine now.

Secondary Measures

  • Vaccine uptake in high and low risk group patients following the introduction of the pamphlet
    • Time Frame: On the same day, upto 24 hours
    • Vaccine uptake in high and low risk group patients. The first half of the pamphlet contains information about the the influenza vaccine and the risk groups who are vulnerable to influenza-associated serious diseases. The second half introduces the social-benefit message. And the final part asks if the participant wants to receive the influenza vaccine now.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Patients hospitalized at medical departments of the hospital who are on the day of discharge Exclusion Criteria:

  • Egg ellergy – Previous allergic reaction to influenza vaccine – Pregnancy – Cognitive disability

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 90 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: No

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • SB Istanbul Education and Research Hospital
  • Collaborator
    • University of Nottingham
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Burcu Isler, Principal investigator – SB Istanbul Education and Research Hospital

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