Arrival Time Implementation
University of California, Los Angeles
Summary
This is a prospective clinical trial evaluating how behaviorally informed message framing can improve patient on-time arrival for outpatient visits. This trial is being implemented in conjunction with UCLA Health's broader operational quality improvement (QI) efforts to enhance clinic flow and patient experience. The main question it aims to answer is how displaying an explicit arrival time (set to 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment) affects when patients arrive for their appointments, compared to a control condition where only the appointment time is displayed and patients are encouraged to arrive 15 min before the appointment (without an explicit arrival time).
Description
Timely patient arrival is essential for maintaining efficient clinic operations and ensuring patients receive the full duration of their scheduled care. Late arrivals disrupt clinic flow, reduce time with providers, and can delay subsequent appointments, creating a ripple effect across the day. This project aims to test a low-cost behavioral intervention that clarifies arrival expectations and promotes on-time arrival for scheduled appointments. This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention designed to make the expected arrival time more salient to patients. The study will be impl…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * In-person outpatient appointments with clinicians at UCLA Health that fall into the study period * Appointments scheduled for the department specialties of Primary Care, Pediatrics, or Internal Medicine, Med Peds * Has an active MyChart status * Opted in to receive SMS communications from UCLA Health * Appointments classified as the following visit types: * Return * Well adult (physical) * Well child return * New * Well adult new (physical) * Well child (new) Exclusion Criteria: * Appointments at clinics that are not scheduled through the Patient Access Or…
Interventions
- BehavioralBehaviorally informed appointment communications
In the MyChart patient portal homepage, the appointment widget will show "Arrive by \[Arrival Time\]," replacing the standard "Starts at \[Appointment Time\]" display. The appointment details page will show appointment time, along with a reminder to "Arrive by \[Arrival Time\]." The Hello World text notifications will tell patients: "Your visit is scheduled for \[Date\]. Arrive by \[Arrival Time\]."
- BehavioralControl appointment communications
In the MyChart patient portal homepage, the appointment widget will show "Starts at \[Appointment Time\]." The appointment details page will display appointment time, along with the instructions to arrive 15 minutes before the appointment. The Hello World text notifications will tell patients : "Your visit is scheduled for \[Date\] at \[Appointment Time\]. Please arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time."
Location
- UCLA Health Department of Medicine, Quality OfficeLos Angeles, California