Effect of incentives and mailing features on online health program enrollment.

BACKGROUND: With the growing use of Internet-based interventions, strategies are needed to encourage broader participation. This study examined the effects of combinations of monetary incentives and mailing characteristics on enrollment, retention, and cost effectiveness for an online health program. METHODS: In 2004, a recruitment letter was mailed to randomly selected Midwestern integrated health system members aged 21-65 and stratified by gender and race/ethnicity; recipients were randomly pre-assigned to one of 24 combinations of incentives and various mailing characteristics. Enrollment and 3-month retention rates were measured by completion of online surveys. Analysis, completed in 2005, compared enrollment and retention factors using t tests and chi-square tests. Multivariate logistic regression modeling assessed the probability of enrollment and retention. RESULTS: Of 12,289 subjects, 531 (4.3%) enrolled online, ranging from 1% to 11% by incentive combination. Highest enrollment occurred with unconditional incentives, and responses varied by gender. Retention rates ranged from 0% to 100%, with highest retention linked to higher-value incentives. The combination of a $2 bill prepaid incentive and the promise of $20 for retention (10% enrollment and 71% retention) was optimal, considering per-subject recruitment costs ($32 enrollment, $70 retention) and equivalent enrollment by gender and race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Cash incentives improved enrollment in an online health program. Men and women responded differently to mailing characteristics and incentives. Including a small prepaid monetary incentive ($2 or $5) and revealing the higher promised-retention incentive was cost effective and boosted enrollment.

Oral health program preferences among pregnant women in a managed care organization.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to understand the oral health information preferences of pregnant women and new mothers. METHODS: This study was conducted at a Minnesota managed care organization. A random sample of 250 women with public program insurance and 250 privately insured women was selected from the population of pregnant women in the claims systems. The study consisted of a mailed survey and phone contact to nonresponders. The analytic sample consisted of 123 public-pay and 127 private-pay respondents. Descriptive statistics summarize the preferences for oral health care topics. RESULTS: Receiving information by mail was preferred by both groups. Women favored information concerning infant-specific oral health more than information on both mother and infant oral health. While public-pay respondents had more enthusiasm for many topics, the topic preference rankings within each sample were similar. CONCLUSION: Similarities in program preferences suggest that common interventions could be designed that would appeal to both groups without extensive tailoring.

Racial and age differences in colon examination surveillance following a diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this analysis is to describe factors associated with colorectal surveillance following diagnosis and treatment of nonmetastatic colorectal cancer. METHODS: Subjects were identified as part of the HMO Cancer Research Network's study of colorectal cancer survivors. To be eligible for the main study, patients had to be part of the staff model components of health maintenance organizations in southeastern Michigan and Minnesota. Using computerized databases, individuals were identified who were 40 years or older with incident nonmetastatic colorectal cancer diagnosed between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2000. Using data current through 2002, we analyzed the cohort using chi-square test statistics, life tables, and Cox proportional hazards models to understand variations in posttreatment surveillance practices. Subjects were followed up from date of diagnosis to date of recurrence, death, disenrollment from the health plan, or loss to follow-up, which ever came first. We assessed factors associated with colorectal surveillance at 1, 3, and 5 years after treatment. We also included an analysis comparing those who received an exam and those who didn't regardless of exam timing. RESULTS: A total of 908 patients were eligible for the main study. Of these, we excluded subjects who were not white or African American (n = 27), resulting in an analytic sample of 881 (97% of the eligible cohort). Twenty-five percent of subjects were African American, 43% were female, and 48% were aged 70 years or older. The proportion who received an exam at 1 year was 18%, at 3 years was 60%, and at 5 years was 67%. Chi-square tests showed that African Americans were statistically significantly less likely than whites to receive an exam at all three time points. The Cox proportional hazards model for examinations regardless of timing and adjusted for confounders showed that African Americans were still less likely than whites to receive an exam (hazard ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.51 to 0.75). The same trend in undersurveillance was also observed for those 80 years of age or older at diagnosis, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.39 (95% CI = 0.26 to 0.57). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that colorectal cancer survivors who are African American or aged 80 years or more at diagnosis are less likely to receive posttreatment colorectal surveillance. Whether these differences are due to system or patient level barriers needs further study.

Self-reported hypertension treatment beliefs and practices of primary care physicians in a managed care organization.

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) is controlled to recommended goal in less than one-third of people with hypertension. There has been little recent research on physician beliefs and practices with regard to the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: In late 1999, we surveyed 104 primary care physicians in the 18 owned clinics of a large staff model, non-profit health maintenance organization. The survey included questions about demographics, BP treatment goals for patients with uncomplicated hypertension, and beliefs about hypertension. RESULTS: The reported systolic BP treatment goal was < or =140 mm Hg for 97% and the diastolic BP goal was < or =90 mm Hg for 100%. The systolic BP goal for patients with isolated systolic hypertension was < or =140 mm Hg for 82%, but 34% stated that they would treat to a different goal depending on the diastolic BP. The proportions of physicians who would intensify treatment for BP of 140/90 mm Hg, 150/95 mm Hg, 165/75 mm Hg, and 165/65 mm Hg were 64%, 97%, 89% and 77%, respectively. Although 93% believed that medication was necessary to control BP in most cases, a majority (55%) agreed with the statement that BP could be controlled in most patients with only one drug. Although 42% reported that they often had to change drugs because of side effects, only 16% believed that it was time-consuming to find a well-tolerated drug regimen. CONCLUSIONS: In this setting, primary care physicians' self-reported practices were in good agreement with national guidelines put forth in the late 1990s, and their beliefs were favorable to therapy. Our data point to a need for interventions to emphasize that combination drug therapy is frequently required to achieve BP control, and that more aggressive intervention is often warranted for isolated systolic hypertension.

Books and babies: clinical-based literacy programs.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to assess parental response to a clinic-based literacy program at a health maintenance organization. It was hypothesized that participation would be associated with increased literacy orientation by children. METHOD: This randomized community trial took place at a Midwestern health maintenance organization. Six clinics were paired and randomly assigned to participate or not participate in Project Read. The main outcome variable was literacy orientation (book use). The target population was parents of children younger than 12 months (N = 165). After 6 months of participation, parents were surveyed by telephone. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent and 77% of the treatment and control groups, respectively, had positive literacy orientation; this difference was not significant. Persons receiving a videotape were more likely to have a positive literacy orientation (82.9% vs 69.2%; P <.05). The multivariate regression analyses also showed that receiving the free videotape was a significant intervention exposure. DISCUSSION: The members of the population in this study are reading to their children. Parents who receive a videotape on the importance of reading are likely to read more to their children.

How acceptable are financial incentives and written feedback for improving hypertension control? Perspectives from physicians, clinic administrators, and patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess attitudes of physicians, clinic administrators, and patients within a health maintenance organization (HMO) toward using financial incentives to improve the control of hypertension. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study of attitudes toward use of financial incentives paid to physicians or to clinic systems. METHODS: Data were collected through physician survey (n = 104), interviews with clinic administrators (n = 24), and patient focus groups (n = 3) during the winter of 1999 and the spring of 2000. Analyses included both qualitative and quantitative approaches. RESULTS: Most physicians (80%) supported additional funding to clinics to create systems to improve hypertension care. However, less than half supported direct payment to either groups of physicians (38%) or individual physicians (24%). Sixty-four percent of clinic administrators supported incentive payments to clinics to improve quality of care, whereas only 42% favored incentives to physicians. Patients had a uniformly favorable view of incentives paid to clinics, but were strongly opposed to direct physician incentives. Written feedback was supported by both clinic administrators (54%) and physicians (74%). CONCLUSIONS: In this nonprofit HMO, none of the stakeholder groups supported direct incentive payments to physicians to improve hypertension control. Trials of financial incentives within managed care organizations should include study arms with clinic-based incentives. Further study is needed to determine if incentives to clinics, which appear to be acceptable, can actually improve blood pressure control.