What about money? Effect of small monetary incentives on enrollment, retention, and motivation to change behaviour in an HIV/STD prevention counselling intervention. The Project RESPECT Study Group.

Abstract

Objectives:We studied the eVect of small monetary incentives and non-monetary incentives of similar value on enrolment and participation in clinic based HIV/STD prevention counselling. We examined incident STDs to try to assess whether participants oVered money may be less motivated to change risky behaviours than those oVered other incentives. Methods: Patients from five US STD clinics were invited to enrol in a multisession risk reduction counselling intervention and, based on their enrolment date, were oVered either $15 for each additional session or non-monetary incentives worth $15. The two incentive groups were compared on participants' enrolment, completion of intervention sessions, and new STDs over the 24 months after enrolment. Results: Of 648 patients oVered money, 198 (31%) enrolled compared with 160 (23%) of 696 patients oVered other incentives (p=0.002). Enrollees in the two incentive groups had similar baseline characteristics, including condom use. Of the 198 participants oVered money, 109 (55%) completed all sessions compared with 59 (37%) of the participants oVered other incentives (p <0.0001). Comparing those oVered money with those oVered other incentives STD rates were similar after 6, 12, and 24 months. Conclusions: Small monetary incentives enhanced enrolment and participation compared with other incentives of similar value. Regardless of incentive oVered, participants had similar post-enrolment STD rates, suggesting that the type of incentive does not adversely aVect motivation to change behaviour. Money may be useful in encouraging high risk individuals to participate in and complete counselling or other public health interventions. (Sex Transm Inf 1998;74:253-255)

Using Theory to Understand How Interventions Work: Project RESPECT, Condom Use, and the Integrative Model

“…A detailed description of subject selection and intervention procedures followed in the Project RESPECT randomized clinical trial appears elsewhere (Kamb et al, 1998a;Kamb et al, 1998b). In the present study, data from a subset of RESPECT subjects assigned to the Enhanced Counseling (n = 1,438), Brief Counseling, (n = 1,447), and Didactic Message (n = 1,443) conditions were analyzed.…”

Counselor Incentives to Improve Client Retention in an Outpatient Substance Abuse Aftercare Program

“…For example, colleagues (1997, 2000) demonstrated that client incentives almost doubled rates of treatment completion and improved abstinence over 27 months of follow up among cocaine-dependent clients. In the general medical literature, a study of an HIV/STD counseling intervention (Kamb et al, 1998) found that small monetary incentives paid to clients were more effective than non-monetary incentives of similar value on enrollment and treatment completion rates, but had no effect on post-enrollment STD rates.…”

An HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Prevention Program for Young Men Leaving Prison: Project START

“…Kamb et al (1998) found that payments motivated participation in interventions. Participants who attended the Week 1 session were more likely to attend the later sessions, indicating the importance of early contact.…”