Our Work

Learn more about our diverse portfolio of projects below.  Our key project domains include the following:

Nudges to clinicians: The design of practice environments heavily influences medical decision-making. We aim to design and implement nudges that improve workflow and steer decision-making towards evidence-based care.

Nudges to patients: Daily health behaviors have a significant impact on longer-term patient outcomes. We aim to design and implement interventions that lead to significant and sustained changes in patient engagement and daily behaviors.  

Active Projects

Gamification-augmented home-based exercise for peripheral artery disease

Improving inpatient hepatitis C screening by using EHR default settings

Gamification and goal setting to increase physical activity among patients with elevated risk for cardiovascular disease

Using activity data from wearable devices vs. smartphones to predict hospital readmission

Evaluating the implementation of a saliva-based screening program for detection of COVID-19

Gamification with or without financial incentives to increase physical activity among heart disease patients

Gamification and social incentives to improve glycemic control among obese diabetic adults

Social incentives to increase physical activity among families in the community

Nudges for Statin Prescribing in Primary Care

Comparing social vs. financial incentives with gamification to increase physical activity among veterans

Nudges to reduce opioid prescription pill burden

Gamification and social incentives to promote mobility among hospitalized patients

Using default options to increase referral to cardiac rehabilitation

Completed Projects

Expanding use of active choice to increase cancer screening rates

Social comparisons and financial incentives to increase physical activity

Framing financial incentives to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults

Active vs. passive choice framing to increase statin prescribing among cardiologists

Price transparency for inpatient laboratory tests

Comparing four designs of social comparison feedback to increase physical activity

Evaluating resident perceptions on inappropriate inpatient laboratory testing

Premium-based financial incentives to promote weight loss

Evaluating the presence and design of gamification in popular smartphone applications

Using nudges with machine learning algorithms to increase serious illness conversations

Leveraging data from wearable devices to enhance risk prediction models

Individual vs. team-based incentives to increase physical activity

Behavioral economic incentives to improve glycemic control among adolescents and young adults with diabetes

Comparing different lottery designs to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults

Patient and physician predictors of appropriate statin prescription

Using gamification and social incentives to improve healthy behaviors

Using gamification and social incentives to increase physical activity among families

Financial incentives to increase physical activity among ischemic heart disease patients

Veterans’ experience with wearable devices

Using active choice to increase cancer screening

Using default options to increase generic medication prescribing rates

Using default options to decrease opioid prescribing durations

Using default options to decrease unnecessary imaging for palliative cancer patients receiving radiation therapy

Gamification and social incentives to promote weight loss

A national evaluation of activity tracker initial activation, sustained use, and physical activity outcomes

Predicting influenza vaccination

Secure text messaging and changes in patient outcomes

Using active choice and peer comparisons to increase statin prescription rates

nudgeunit@uphs.upenn.edu

3400 Civic Center Boulevard
14th Floor, South Pavilion
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Work with Us