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A 680,000-person megastudy of nudges to encourage vaccination in pharmacies

Author

Listed:
  • Katherine L. Milkman

    (a Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Linnea Gandhi

    (a Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Mitesh S. Patel

    (b Ascension Health, St. Louis, MO 63105;)

  • Heather N. Graci

    (c Behavior Change for Good Initiative, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Dena M. Gromet

    (c Behavior Change for Good Initiative, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Hung Ho

    (d Department of Marketing, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Chicago, IL 60637;)

  • Joseph S. Kay

    (c Behavior Change for Good Initiative, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Timothy W. Lee

    (e School of Professional Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;)

  • Jake Rothschild

    (c Behavior Change for Good Initiative, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Jonathan E. Bogard

    (f Department of Behavioral Decision Making, Anderson School of Mangement, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;)

  • Ilana Brody

    (f Department of Behavioral Decision Making, Anderson School of Mangement, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;)

  • Christopher F. Chabris

    (g Behavioral Insights Team, Steele Institute for Health Innovation, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA 17822;)

  • Edward Chang

    (h Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02163;)

  • Gretchen B. Chapman

    (i Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213;)

  • Jennifer E. Dannals

    (j Department of Strategy and Management, Tuck Business School, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 15213;)

  • Noah J. Goldstein

    (k Department of Management and Organizations, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;)

  • Amir Goren

    (g Behavioral Insights Team, Steele Institute for Health Innovation, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA 17822;)

  • Hal Hershfield

    (l Department of Marketing, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095;)

  • Alex Hirsch

    (m Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Jillian Hmurovic

    (n Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Samantha Horn

    (i Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213;)

  • Dean S. Karlan

    (o Department of Finance, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208;)

  • Ariella S. Kristal

    (p Department of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA 02163;)

  • Cait Lamberton

    (q Department of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Michelle N. Meyer

    (g Behavioral Insights Team, Steele Institute for Health Innovation, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA 17822;)

  • Allison H. Oakes

    (r Anthem, Inc., Indianapolis, IN 46203;)

  • Maurice E. Schweitzer

    (a Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Maheen Shermohammed

    (g Behavioral Insights Team, Steele Institute for Health Innovation, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA 17822;)

  • Joachim Talloen

    (i Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213;)

  • Caleb Warren

    (s Department of Marketing, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721;)

  • Ashley Whillans

    (h Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02163;)

  • Kuldeep N. Yadav

    (t Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, & Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Julian J. Zlatev

    (h Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit, Harvard Business School, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02163;)

  • Ron Berman

    (q Department of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Chalanda N. Evans

    (u Penn Medicine Nudge Unit, Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Rahul Ladhania

    (v Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;)

  • Jens Ludwig

    (w Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60627;)

  • Nina Mazar

    (x Department of Marketing, Questrom School of Business, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215;)

  • Sendhil Mullainathan

    (y Department of Behavioral Science, Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637;)

  • Christopher K. Snider

    (z Center for Health Care Innovation, Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Jann Spiess

    (aa Department of Operations, Information, and Technology, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305;)

  • Eli Tsukayama

    (bb Business Administration Division, University of Hawai`i–West O`ahu, Kapolei, HI 96707;)

  • Lyle Ungar

    (m Department of Computer and Information Science, School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Christophe Van den Bulte

    (q Department of Marketing, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Kevin G. Volpp

    (cc Penn Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics, Departments of Medical Ethics and Health Policy and Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;)

  • Angela L. Duckworth

    (a Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;; dd Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104)

Abstract

Encouraging vaccination is a pressing policy problem. Our megastudy with 689,693 Walmart pharmacy customers demonstrates that text-based reminders can encourage pharmacy vaccination and establishes what kinds of messages work best. We tested 22 different text reminders using a variety of different behavioral science principles to nudge flu vaccination. Reminder texts increased vaccination rates by an average of 2.0 percentage points (6.8%) over a business-as-usual control condition. The most-effective messages reminded patients that a flu shot was waiting for them and delivered reminders on multiple days. The top-performing intervention included two texts 3 d apart and stated that a vaccine was “waiting for you.” Forecasters failed to anticipate that this would be the best-performing treatment, underscoring the value of testing.

Suggested Citation

  • Katherine L. Milkman & Linnea Gandhi & Mitesh S. Patel & Heather N. Graci & Dena M. Gromet & Hung Ho & Joseph S. Kay & Timothy W. Lee & Jake Rothschild & Jonathan E. Bogard & Ilana Brody & Christopher, 2022. "A 680,000-person megastudy of nudges to encourage vaccination in pharmacies," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(6), pages 2115126119-, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:119:y:2022:p:e2115126119
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Angerer, Silvia & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas, 2023. "How does the vaccine approval procedure affect COVID-19 vaccination intentions?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    2. Polman, Evan & Ruttan, Rachel L. & Peck, Joann, 2022. "Using curiosity to incentivize the choice of “should” options," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    3. Felix Holzmeister & Magnus Johannesson & Robert Böhm & Anna Dreber & Jürgen Huber & Michael Kirchler, 2023. "Heterogeneity in effect size estimates: Empirical evidence and practical implications," Working Papers 2023-17, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.

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