How do personalized campaigns increase flu vaccination rates?
Can individuals be directed toward specific healthcare providers using targeted information? Is the effect of information on demand sustainable? We explored these and other questions using flu vaccination as a case study.
The healthcare system, in which individuals and patients have to make numerous decisions on a daily basis, is highly complex. Insurers have the potential to support decision-making and improve care by providing information. To test this, we conducted two field experiments in Switzerland evaluating the effectiveness of various information campaigns aimed at promoting flu vaccination. The core of the campaign was a letter sent by CSS to its customers, highlighting the availability of flu vaccinations in pharmacies. These letters formed the basis of the field experiments: they were sent to randomly selected customers, allowing a comparison of vaccination demand between recipients and non-recipients, offering insights into the campaign's effectiveness.
Personalized information increases effectiveness
The first field experiment focused on the added value of personalized information. Randomly selected individuals were divided into three groups. The first group received a letter mentioning the availability of flu vaccinations in pharmacies. The second group received a personalized letter specifying a nearby pharmacy where the vaccination could be administered. The nearest pharmacy was identified based on the shortest public transit travel time from the insured's address. The third group received no letter.
In the group that did not receive a letter, the overall vaccination rate at doctors' offices and pharmacies was 10.19%. In the group that received a non-personalized letter, the vaccination rate increased by 2.19 percentage points to 12.38%. However, the highest vaccination rate of 13.52% was observed in the group that received a personalized letter, reflecting a 1.14 percentage point increase (50% higher than the non-personalized letter). These findings demonstrate that personalizing information significantly enhances the effectiveness of information campaigns.
Information does not have long-term effects
The second field experiment analyzed the sustainability of the information campaign. Information can lead to lasting behavioral changes, such as increasing flu vaccination demand in subsequent years. To evaluate this, we divided insured individuals into four groups and tracked their vaccination demand over two years. The first group received a letter in both years. The second group received a letter only in the first year. The third group received a letter only in the second year. The fourth group received no letter.
The second group, which did not receive a letter in the second year, is particularly interesting as their behavior offers insights into the first-year letter's lasting impact. Results showed that their vaccination demand in the second year was like the group that never received a letter (vaccination rates of 18.13% and 17.12%, respectively). The only notable difference was that individuals who had received a letter in the first year were slightly more likely to get vaccinated in a pharmacy. Thus, the information campaign had a marginally lasting effect on the choice of vaccination location. Additionally, the group that received letters in both years showed a second-year vaccination rate of 20.96%, comparable to the group that received their first letter in the second year (20.74%). In both cases, the letter increased vaccination rates by 3.84 and 3.62 percentage points, respectively. These results indicate that personalized information campaigns can boost flu vaccination demand, but annual reminders are necessary to maintain their effectiveness.
Conclusion
Our findings show that simple information campaigns can positively influence individuals’ behavior. Including the specific location of a nearby pharmacy in the informational letter significantly enhances the campaign’s effectiveness. This form of patient steering provides insurers with a cost-effective tool for promoting preventive health measures.
Additional analyses confirm that most individuals adhere to the recommendations and visit the suggested pharmacy, demonstrating that they can be guided toward specific providers. However, these campaigns also have unintended side effects: while overall vaccination demand increases, some patients switch from doctors to pharmacies, resulting in no additional vaccinations. This highlights the importance of carefully selecting the target audience to achieve a sustainable increase in demand for preventive measures.
