Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
The NHS Health Check programme has been set up to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and some types of dementia in the general population. Everyone aged 40 to 74 and not either already diagnosed with one of these conditions, or have certain risk factors, will be sent an invite once every 5 years to attend an appointment to check on their risk of developing these diseases. They will be then given support or advice on how to manage or reduce such risks. The programme is a policy priority for the Department of Health, NHS England, Public Health England and local authorities in their efforts to tackle premature death and promote healthy lifestyles. However, the number of people who join the programme are significantly lower than desired, at around 50 per cent. Local authority commissioners of the NHS Health Check currently use a range of different letters and marketing to encourage those eligible to attend. However, there has not to date been any robust research into what type of letters or marketing strategies will are most likely to lead to an increase in the number of people taking part in the programme. There is compelling evidence in the field of behavioural science to suggest that a low cost intervention within the content of the invitation letter or a reminder text message may be effective at changing peoples behaviour. The aim of this study is to determine what type of patient invitation letter would be most likely to successfully encourage people to enrol on the NHS Health Check programme. The results will be used to help promote the uptake of Health Checks.
Who can participate?
People eligible for an NHS Health Check in the Borough of Northamptonshire during the duration of the study
What does the study involve?
This study tests whether a number of small, low-cost changes to the invitation process for Health Checks can increase uptake. Patients are randomly allocated to receive the usual letter of invitation (control), a new, shorter, action focused letter containing some questions and answers relating to the Health Check (intervention 1), or a shorter letter with a reference to the cost of the Health Check appointment (intervention 2).
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no risks to participants. The standard NHS leaflet explaining the risks of attending a Health Check, or not, is including in both the control and intervention letters.
Where is the study run from?
GP surgeries in Northamptonshire (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
March 2013 to April 2014
Who is funding the study?
The Department of Health (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Annabelle Bonus
Trial website
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Using behavioural insights to change uptake of the NHS Health Check
Acronym
Study hypothesis
Does making small, low-cost changes, based on behavioural insight, to the NHS Health Check invitation process change levels of uptake?
Ethics approval
NHS Health Research Authority NRES committee, 23/09/2013, ref: 13/SW/0293
Study design
Multicentre randomised controlled trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
GP practices
Trial type
Other
Patient information sheet
No participant information sheet available
Condition
NHS Health Checks
Intervention
Patients in participating practices who are due to be invited to a health check are randomly allocated into one of three groups. This is a simple randomization done locally by each practice once a month. The letter variations should include:
1. National template (control)
2. A shorter letter containing some questions and answers relating to the Health Check
3. A shorter letter with a reference to the cost of the Health Check appointment
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Uptake of the NHS Health Check. This is recorded by the local IT system EmisWeb. This is recorded once the appointment is attended, and the data provided for analysis six months after the invitation letters are sent.
Secondary outcome measures
Not provided at time of registration
Overall trial start date
01/03/2014
Overall trial end date
30/04/2015
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
Any patient registered at a consenting participating GP practice in Northamptonshire during the trial duration who is due to be invited for an NHS Health Check. Patients aged between 40-74 are invited to attend for a Health Check via an invitation letter sent to the address held in their medical records. The letters are sent monthly by the individual GP practices.
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
6000
Participant exclusion criteria
Participants will only be excluded if they are no longer eligible for an NHS Health Check at their GP's surgery, for example, if they have had one at a local pharmacy already.
Recruitment start date
01/03/2014
Recruitment end date
30/04/2015
Locations
Countries of recruitment
United Kingdom
Trial participating centre
Department of Health
London
SW1A 2NS
United Kingdom
Funders
Funder type
Government
Funder name
Department of Health (UK)
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list