Behavioural interventions to improve equity in outpatient access
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can user-centred design and behavioural-science informed interventions improve equity in outpatient access in North West London? A non-randomised controlled trial.
IRAS ID
326369
Contact name
Sarah Huf
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 2 days
Research summary
Health inequities are avoidable and unfair differences in health access, outcomes and experience between groups or populations and they are a major concern for healthcare providers in the UK. This project focuses on outpatient appointments and aims to increase first outpatient appointment attendance in groups most affected by inequity in this area.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHT) and North West London Integrated Care System have identified that deprivation and ethnicity lead to a higher likelihood of missed first outpatient appointments. These first outpatient appointments are important gateways to future treatments, diagnostics and management of long-term health conditions. This local data echoes the need to drive targeted action towards those who are most likely to face health inequities, as outlined in NHS England's Core20PLUS5 framework.
Research has shown that behaviour can be modified though interventions that are designed for specific users, and utilise behavioural science principles. Interventions can take many different forms and are designed to overcome barriers, such as changing the tone in patient communications or providing transport support to attend the appointment.
This trial aims to improve health equity in outpatient attendance through user-centred design and behavioural science-informed interventions. The trial will have four arms - a control and three intervention strategies and run in selected outpatient clinics of five ICHT clinical specialties over 24 weeks. The three intervention strategies have been co-designed with a diverse group of public members, healthcare workers and researchers.
The study participants will be adults who have been scheduled to attend their first outpatient appointment at one of the following specialties at ICHT: Cardiology, Colorectal Surgery, Gastroenterology, Ophthalmology and Plastic Surgery.
The trial will compare the first outpatient appointment Did Not Attend (DNA) and Patient-Initiated Cancellation (PIC) rates between the groups that received the study interventions and the control group who received usual care.
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0957
Date of REC Opinion
24 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion