Will it nudge: A feasibility study of PCC nudging to increase uptake of PCC practice

Short Description of main results

What is nudging? Nudging defines as “any aspect of designing choices that changed people's behavior in a predictable way without prohibiting any options or significantly changing their economic incentives”.

Can nudging be used to facilitate PCC implementation? Understanding the behavioral nature of decision-making is essential for designing processes that mitigate risks and improve the quality of care. It is therefore important that clinical decisions are supported by accurate, timely and up-to-date clinical information and reflect the best available evidence to achieve the best patient outcomes. In an ideal world, clinicians would base their decisions on scientific evidence and best practice, but these decisions are affected by emotional and cognitive biases. Here nudging can be a valuable tool to overcome these biases. In our literature reviews, we have shown how different nudging strategies can be used to minimize the risks of these biases and achieve better patient care. In our reviews, we were able to identify thirteen different nudging strategies that aimed to modify four types of behavior of healthcare professionals: prescriptions and orders, procedure, hand hygiene and vaccination. The majority of the interventions were positive and thus ensured more evidence-based and patient-safe care.