Study • Health · Physical Activity
Financial Incentive–Based Approaches for Weight Loss.
Volpp et al. (2008), ‘Financial Incentive–Based Approaches for Weight Loss
Summary by Mark Egan
Encouraging stroke victims to take their warfarin pills via lotteries. Designed in reactance to the serious issue of patients not taking their medicine correctly. The treatment group had a 1% chance of winning $100 contingent upon taking their pills correctly. The control group did not have any incentives to take their pills correctly beyond the threat of dying. Adherence in the treatment group was almost 100% compared to 80% in the control [though with the caveat that the sample size is very small, n=10] . Findings like this support the argument that more should be spent on behavioral research in health-care. Dr. David Halpern of the Behavioral Insights Team has noted that in Lord Darzi’s 2008 report on the NHS behavioral research currently receives less than 0.5% of medical research spending in the U.K.
Tactics used
TACTICS
Lotteries
TACTICS
Financial Incentives
TACTICS
Commitment Devices
Behaviors addressed
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