Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24449961›Full record

Trial reportThe American journal of managed care2013

Testimonials do not convert patients from brand to generic medication.

John Beshears, James J Choi, David Laibson, Brigitte C Madrian, Gwendolyn Reynolds

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The American journal of managed care, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

John Beshears
James J Choi
David Laibson
Brigitte C Madrian
Gwendolyn Reynolds

Funding

Understanding and Improving Healthcare Decision-Making and Outcomes for People Living with Alzheimer's Disease and Related DementiasP01AG005842 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI KOSALI ILAYPERUMA SIMON · 1986 to 2026
$56.5M
Pilot CoreP30AG034532 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI JOSEPH J DOYLE · 2009 to 2026
$10.2M
Determinants of Saving in 401(k) Plans -- ContinuationR01AG021650 · NIA · NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH · PI MADRIAN, BRIGITTE C. · 2003 to 2016
$4.7M
NIA NIH HHS P01 AG005842NIA NIH HHS P01-AG-005842NIA NIH HHS P30 AG034532NIA NIH HHS P30-AG-034532NIA NIH HHS R01 AG021650NIA NIH HHS R01-AG-021650
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess whether the addition of a peer testimonial to an informational mailing increases conversion rates from brand name prescription medications to lower-cost therapeutic equivalents, and whether the testimonial's efficacy increases when information is added about an affiliation the quoted individual shares with the recipient. RESEARCH DESIGN AND

methodsA total of 5498 union members were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 different informational letters: 1 without a testimonial (No Testimonial Group), 1 with a testimonial from a person whose shared union affiliation with the recipient was not disclosed (Unaffiliated Testimonial Group), and 1 with a testimonial from a person whose shared union affiliation with the recipient was disclosed (Affiliated Testimonial Group).

resultsThe conversion rate for the No Testimonial Group was 12.2%, which is higher than the Unaffiliated Testimonial Group rate of 11.3% and the Affiliated Testimonial Group rate of 11.7%. The differences between the groups are not statistically significant.

conclusionsShort peer testimonials do not increase the impact of a mailed communication on conversion rates to lower-cost, therapeutically equivalent medications, even when the testimonial is presented as coming from a more socially proximate peer

Indexed as

Choice BehaviorDrugs, GenericPatient PreferencePersuasive CommunicationFemaleHumansMaleMarketing of Health ServicesPeer GroupDrugs, Generic

Identifiers

PMID24449961
PMCPMC3902665

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.