Promoting workers' appointments at follow-up examinations through a nudge-based notification

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Previous research indicated a preference for nudge-based notifications among occupational health staff and workers for follow-up examinations.
• The impact of these notifications on actual screening behaviors remained unassessed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a nudge-based notification in improving appointment rates for follow-up examinations following abnormal findings.
• To assess the influence of specific notification content on worker screening behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A notification detailing the required department and requesting appointment status reporting was sent to workers.
• Appointment data from a Japanese transportation company's workforce receiving the notification in June 2024 were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Out of 91 notified workers, 53.3% scheduled appointments, surpassing the previous year's attendance rate of 43.8%.
• Workers who scheduled appointments were significantly older (mean 56.2 years) than those who did not (mean 46.2 years; p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• The notification likely contributed to improved follow-up examination attendance by aligning with workers' cognitive ease and present biases.
• This intervention demonstrated high cost-effectiveness and transparency.
• Integrating multiple nudges into reminder notifications may further enhance attendance rates.