University of Chicago SARS-CoV-2 Serosurvey Pilot Study

Last registered on January 23, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
University of Chicago SARS-CoV-2 Serosurvey Pilot Study
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0010630
Initial registration date
December 12, 2022

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 23, 2023, 7:57 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region
Chicago

Primary Investigator

Name
Michael Greenstone
Affiliation
University of Chicago
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Ali Hortacsu
PI Affiliation
Department of Economics, University of Chicago
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Magne Mogstad
PI Affiliation
Department of Economics, University of Chicago
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Alexander Torgovitsky
PI Affiliation
Department of Economics, University of Chicago
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Winnie van Dijk
PI Affiliation
Department of Economics, Harvard University
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Azeem Shaikh
PI Affiliation
Department of Economics, University of Chicago
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
Completed
Start date
2020-12-01
End date
2021-03-31
Keywords
Health
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
C00, C01, C1, C36, C83, C9, H00, J00, I10, I14
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The purpose of this pilot study is to measure participation rates--at different levels of compensation and by neighborhood (zip) characteristics--in a serosurvey aimed at measuring the population prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) antibodies in Chicago.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Greenstone, Michael et al. 2023. "University of Chicago SARS-CoV-2 Serosurvey Pilot Study." AEA RCT Registry. January 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.10630-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Sampled households were sent a package that contained a self-administered blood collection kit. The package additionally contained a consent form with a short questionnaire, instructions on self-administering and returning a blood sample, a letter explaining the purpose of the study and providing information on financial compensation for participating (i.e., returning a blood sample), and a pre-paid return package. Households in the sample were randomly assigned one of three levels of compensation: $0, $100, or $500.

While the study involves random assignment to varied incentive groups, it is not experimentally testing the efficacy or effectiveness or any product, device, or laboratory test. The only intervention is the random offer of incentive, the at-home blood collection kit, and the short questionnaire.
Intervention Start Date
2020-12-01
Intervention End Date
2021-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Participation (i.e. returning a blood sample), seropositivity based on returned blood sample for participants, neighborhood-level characteristics for all subjects, and individual-level characteristics based on questionnaire for participants.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
NORC constructed a sampling frame using United States Postal Service Data from the city of Chicago. They then randomly sampled 882 addresses from this sampling frame. Sampled households were sent a package that contained a self-administered blood collection kit, and were asked to return a blood sample of the adult in the household with the earliest upcoming birthday to the Wilson Antibody Biology Laboratory to be tested for seropositivity. The package additionally contained a consent form with a short questionnaire, instructions on self-administering and returning a blood sample, a letter explaining the purpose of the study and providing information on financial compensation for participating (i.e., returning a blood sample), and a pre-paid return package. Households in the sample were randomly assigned one of three levels of compensation: $0, $100, or $500. Reminder postcards were sent to households who had not yet returned a testing kit.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization of assigned incentives was done by survey experts at NORC using a computer.
Randomization Unit
Randomization of assigned incentives was done at the household (subject) level.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
882 households
Sample size: planned number of observations
882 households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
By assigned incentive level:
$0: 374 households
$100: 374 households
$500: 134 households
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB00000331 U of Chicago IRB #1A BSD/UCMC IRB
IRB Approval Date
2020-07-16
IRB Approval Number
IRB20-0721-AM011
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
Yes
Intervention Completion Date
March 31, 2021, 12:00 +00:00
Data Collection Complete
Yes
Data Collection Completion Date
March 31, 2021, 12:00 +00:00
Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)
882 households invited, 125 households participated
Was attrition correlated with treatment status?
No
Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations
882 households invited, 125 households participated
Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms
By assigned incentive level: $0: 374 households invited, 23 households participated $100: 374 households invited, 63 households participated $500: 134 households invited, 39 households participated
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
No
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials