Evaluate quality of care using standardized patients

Last registered on May 30, 2024
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluate quality of care using standardized patients
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0013694
Initial registration date
May 29, 2024

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
May 30, 2024, 5:44 AM EDT

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

Locations

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

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Lambert Zixin Li
Affiliation
Stanford University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Peilin Yang
PI Affiliation
Stanford University
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-06-01
End date
2025-09-01
Keywords
Behavior, Firms & Productivity, Gender, Health, Labor
Additional Keywords
quality of care, clinical competence, measurement method
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial is based on or builds upon one or more prior RCTs.
Abstract
We will use an audit study and standardized patients to measure quality of care in China. Specifically, 32 research assistants will be trained to present themselves as patients of common conditions (e.g., chest pain) using standardized scripts. They will then visit multiple hospitals in China. They will record the treating healthcare providers' diagnostic and prescription behaviors during the visits. These behaviors will then be compared to clinical guidelines or pre-specified expert consensus to assess quality of care. The scenarios will be selected based on a pilot test in a way that minimize disruption to healthcare operations and incur no harm on the auditors.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Li, Lambert Zixin and Peilin Yang. 2024. "Evaluate quality of care using standardized patients." AEA RCT Registry. May 30. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.13694-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
32 research assistants will be trained to present themselves as patients of common conditions (e.g., chest pain) using standardized scripts. They will then visit multiple hospitals in China. They will record the treating healthcare providers' diagnostic and prescription behaviors during the visits. These behaviors will then be compared to clinical guidelines or pre-specified expert consensus to assess quality of care. The scenarios will be selected based on a pilot test in a way that minimize disruption to healthcare operations and incur no harm on the auditors.
Intervention Start Date
2024-06-01
Intervention End Date
2025-06-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Quality of care (providers' performance)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Concordance (or discordance) of the providers' diagnostic and prescription behaviors with clinical guidelines or pre-specified expert consensus. Both necessary and unnecessary treatment behaviors will be considered.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Standardized patient experience
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Standardized patients (auditors) will rate the quality of their interactions with each provider using validated or recommended scales.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
32 research assistants will be randomly assigned to present different symptoms of common diseases using recommended or validated scenarios (e.g., doi:10.1001/jama.283.13.1715; https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9343(00)00363-6; https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30215-8). We may use stratification design based on auditors' characteristics (e.g., gender).
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
team (2 auditors in one team)
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
16 clusters
Sample size: planned number of observations
32 auditors
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
32 auditors, 2 in each cluster/team
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Stanford University
IRB Approval Date
2022-09-14
IRB Approval Number
65289
Analysis Plan