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

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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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.

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

Conditions
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Influenza Vaccine, Behavioral Intervention, Self-benefit, Social-benefit

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Self-benefit message
* Behavioral: Other-benefit message


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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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

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Self-benefit arm<br> | Behavioral: Self-benefit message<br>* 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.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Social-benefit arm<br> | Behavioral: Other-benefit message<br>* 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.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vaccine uptake following the introduction of the pamphlet | 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. | On the same day, upto 24 hours | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vaccine uptake in high and low risk group patients following the introduction of the pamphlet | 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. | On the same day, upto 24 hours |