Welcome to The Healthy Nudge. Each month, we'll get you up to speed on the latest developments in policy-relevant health behavioral economics research at CHIBE. See our 5 top stories below.
What this article offers: CHIBE and PAIR have collected best practices for how to disseminate study findings to research participants. Find our:
Guidelines on what include in an email to research participants (plus an example!)
Tips for communicating to research participants
Advice on what not to do
Process for communicating to research participants via video
Why communicate results to study participants? Sharing results with participants can increase trust in the health care system, providers, and research and may also increase future trial participation. It also allows participants to benefit from their contribution to research, and it increases opportunities for understanding the impact of the research.
Why system-level changes are needed to tackle obesity: "If we are serious about preventing nutrition-related chronic diseases and helping all kids in this country grow up at a healthy weight, then we need system-level changes. ...We need policies that will address the fact that junk foods are cheap, widely available, heavily marketed, served in large portions, and addictive."
How to do strategic science: "Researchers shouldn’t be hesitant to reach out to policymakers and other change agents like advocacy organizations or regulators asking them to meet. But the key is to signal that you are interested in hearing their perspective on the types of research that is needed to help them advance policies."
Learn more about one of CHIBE’s external advisory board members Avik Roy.
Advice for groups seeking to be bipartisan: "Look for opportunities to find common ground, and look for the good in people. Most people who go into public service and public policy do so for idealistic reasons. Try to see the world from the perspective of people who disagree with you."
What he thinks CHIBE should focus on: "We need CHIBE to increase the body of wisdom we can use to make US health care fiscally and economically sustainable."
The details: CHIBE and PAIR's Joint Research Practices (JRP) working group has won Penn’s Models of Excellence award.
What's the JRP? The JRP develops and disseminates best practices for conducting research that welcomes people from all backgrounds and represents the community we serve. The group also provides free online resources and hands-on training on how to practice research in ways that build trust, promote fairness, and respect the experiences and contributions of all patients.
What's next:The JRP will be celebrated in a special ceremony on April 7 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Penn Museum!
A paper published in Nature by Dr. Ethan Goh with CHIBE affiliate Dr. Damon Centola and colleagues
What this study looked at: Thisstudy looked at whether using AI tools would impact performance and bias during clinical decision making. Doctors were shown videos of either a white male or Black female patient talking about chest pain and were asked to make a medical decision. Then doctors received suggestions from AI and could change their decisions.
Results: They found that doctors were willing to consider the AI suggestions and made more accurate medical decisions after receiving this help.
Why look at bias? There are concerns that AI assistance could exacerbate biases against underrepresented patients.
Implications: “This improvement in decision-making happened equally for all patients, regardless of their race or gender, suggesting AI tools could help improve medical care without increasing bias,” the study authors wrote.
In Case You Missed It
The Clinical Research Forum selected 3 papers by CHIBE authors in its Top 20 Clinical Research Achievement Awards! No other University in the United States had more than 2 winners so this is a remarkable achievement by these teams. Read the full story here.
Events
CHIBE and the Behavior Change for Good Initiative will host a seminar on March 26 from noon to 1 PM ET with Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis on social network interventions. Find more info and register here!
