Automated Telephone Calls Improved Completion of Fecal Occult Blood Testing
Situation
Kaiser Permanente Northwest sought to determine the effect of an automated telephone intervention on completion of fecal occult blood testing (FOBT).
Results
Members in the telephone intervention group were 41% more likely to complete an FOBT within six months of the call.
Postcards vs. Automated Telephone Messages
Situation
A sample of 37,778 Medicare + Choice members were given flu shot reminders via mailed postcards and automated phone messages.
Results
In a follow-up survey of 841 members:
- 13% more members recalled the phone call than the postcard
- 82% of members liked receiving the call
- 44% indicated that the call influenced them more than the postcard, compared to 14% that noted the postcard as more influential
