Social persuasion in rheumatology: a randomized trial of testimonials on television in the rheumatology clinic waiting room to increase attendance for multidisciplinary education

Multidisciplinary self-management programs are important in inflammatory arthritis as adjunctive treatment. Patients often have excuses as to why they do not attend these programs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an intervention of televised testimonials from rheumatologists and allied health professionals increases attendance at a multidisciplinary education day for rheumatology patients seen in a large university hospital clinic. This was an RCT of intervention: playing televised interviews in the waiting room where rheumatology patients were seen versus no TV. There was a total of 6 months (3 months with and 3 without the televised interview playing). All eligible patients who attended the rheumatology outpatient clinic were then tracked to determine whether they attended a subsequent education day over the next 10 months. The sample size was calculated to have a 15 % increase in attendance at the education days. There was a 20 % increase in attendees at the multidisciplinary education days for patients who saw the televised testimonials. Sixty-three patients who viewed the testimonials (2.17 % of 2,908) attended the education day compared to 39 who did not receive the intervention (1.80 % of 2,168); however, the increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.36). Attendance of eligible patients increased using televised testimonials; however, the increase was not significant as the rates of attendance were still very low in both groups. Many eligible patients did not attend the program. Other interventions are necessary to encourage attendance in a multidisciplinary program.