VA tests 'Nudge' to boost lifesaving heart failure prescriptions
NCT ID NCT05986695
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether simple nudges—like an alert in a doctor's daily task list or an email comparing their prescribing habits to peers—could increase the use of two types of heart failure medications (SGLT2 inhibitors and MRAs) that are proven to save lives but are often underused. Researchers enrolled 81 primary care and cardiology clinicians at a single VA hospital. The goal was to see if these gentle reminders could help more eligible veterans get the right prescriptions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- behavioral intervention (informational alert and peer comparison report)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could increase use of proven heart failure medications, potentially reducing hospitalizations and saving lives among veterans.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early implementation study with only 81 clinicians at one VA site, so results may not apply broadly. The intervention is a nudge, not a new drug, so its impact may be modest.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, Tucson, AZ
Tucson, Arizona, 85723-0001, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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