Enhancing Stroke Awareness and Activation Among High-Risk Populations: A Randomized Direct Mail Intervention in Diverse Healthcare Settings

Abstract

Background: Many patients are unaware of their stroke risk. The purpose of this research was to compare the effect of behaviorally tailored mailed messages on patient activation to reduce stroke risk.

Methods: Randomized parallel group clinical trial. We used electronic health records to construct Framingham Stroke Risk Scores in primary care patients from 1 Veterans Health Administration (VA) and 1 non-VA healthcare system, Eskenazi Health System (EHS). Four stroke risk messages were developed through patient interviews: standard, incentive ($5 gift card), salience, and incentive plus salience. The standard message served as the comparison group. Patients in the highest Framingham Stroke Risk Score quintile were randomly assigned to receive one of the messages. All letters asked the patient to call a stroke prevention coordinator, the primary outcome. Response to the messages was modeled separately in the 2 cohorts using logistic regression.

Results: In total, 2084 EHS patients (mean age, 65.6; 36% male; 68% Black; mean Framingham Stroke Risk Score, 13.1) and 1759 VA patients (mean age, 75.6; 99% male; 86% White; mean Framingham Stroke Risk Score, 18.6) received a letter. Rates of calls to the coordinator were 13% among the EHS and 23% among the VA cohort. The EHS cohort was significantly more likely to respond to the incentive message compared with the standard message (odds ratio, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.17-3.09]), and the VA cohort was more likely to respond to the incentive plus salience message (odds ratio, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.02-2.22]). Among individuals calling the coordinator, 31% of the EHS cohort and 27% of the VA cohort were unaware they had stroke risk factors.

Conclusions: A mailed message including a $5 incentive was more effective than a standard message in engaging high-risk patients with their healthcare system, including a salience message may also be important in some patient populations. Many primary care patients are unaware of their stroke risk.