Helping Veterans choose the best in-person, phone, or video primary care visit
Official title: Advancing Decisions About Virtual Service Encounters (ADViSE)
Run by VA Office of Research and Development · NCT06539988 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test interactive text messages for Veterans and brief coaching for their primary care clinicians to help Veterans pick whether an in-person, phone, or video visit is best for them.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 600 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | VA Office of Research and Development Federal |
| Locations | 1 site (Ann Arbor, Michigan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 1, 2026 |
| Main results expected | September 30, 2027 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | April 8, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06539988 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Veterans with an upcoming primary care appointment in 8–12 weeks, at least three primary care encounters in the prior 12 months, who can provide informed consent and receive VA text messages are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Veterans with mild cognitive impairment, dementia, psychotic disorders, those unable to receive text messages, or those not receiving care at the VA Ann Arbor site are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The study will first use surveys and interviews with Veterans and primary care clinicians to identify perceived benefits and ideal uses for in-person, telephone, and video visits. Investigators will then add interactive, patient-facing messaging to the VA PETALS platform and create point-of-care information plus brief coaching for clinicians to support shared decision-making about visit modality. The optimized ADViSE intervention will be refined with user-centered feedback and then rolled out in a mixed-methods stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial across six VA Ann Arbor PACT teams. For each participant, outcomes during a six-month intervention period will be compared to a six-month pre-intervention control period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help Veterans get more convenient, appropriate, and cost-effective primary care visits that better match their needs and preferences.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using patient messaging and clinician prompts has shown modest gains in telehealth uptake and patient satisfaction, but combining automated interactive texts with clinician coaching in this VA primary care setting is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Veteran inclusion criteria are having an upcoming face-to-face (F2F), telephone, or VA Video Connect (VVC) appointment in the next 8 to 12 weeks * Having at least 3 Primary Care F2F, telephone, or VVC encounters in the previous 12 months * Able to provide informed consent * Willing and able to receive text messages from the VA Patient Engagement, Tracking, and Long-term Support (PETALS) platform Exclusion Criteria: * Veteran exclusion criteria are a CDW diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, or a psychotic disorder
Where it's running
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VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jeffrey T. Kullgren, MD MPH MS — VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI
- Study coordinator: Jeffrey T Kullgren, MD MPH MS
- Email: Jeffrey.Kullgren@va.gov
- Phone: (734) 845-5290
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.