2023 Nudge Request for Proposals

Submit an Idea to Improve Care Delivery and Outcomes

Illustration of a person with a light bulb over the hand

The Penn Medicine Nudge Unit is conducting a request for proposals to identify opportunities to improve care delivery and patient outcomes using a nudge. A nudge is a change in the way choices are presented or information is framed that is meant to guide or motivate decision-making.

We are seeking proposals that target situations in which a nudge can be applied to help patients, clinicians, or care teams make a choice that promotes optimal health or operational outcomes.

Have an idea for a nudge at Penn Medicine? Submit it by May 5 for the chance to get behavioral change support and expertise!

Submit a nudge!

Opportunity

Teams whose proposals are selected will collaborate with the Nudge Unit to design, test, and evaluate your nudge. The Nudge Unit can support problem definition, nudge design, implementation, data extraction and evaluation, stakeholder management, project management, and health system resource navigation. The Nudge Unit Executive Steering Committee can also provide executive sponsorship to facilitate project implementation.

We are interested in opportunities that implement nudges in the following target areas.

Transforming care

Implementing novel changes to positively impact care delivery, outcomes, and experience (e.g., designing a default electronic health record workflow that prompts screening and treatment for opioid use disorder in the emergency department).

Efficiency and automation

Reducing inefficiencies and automating processes to ease the burden on care teams and reduce costs for Penn Medicine (e.g., a default in the electronic health record to decrease unnecessary imaging).

Wellness and engagement

Introducing interventions that enhance clinician well-being (e.g., a solution that enables clinicians to spend less time charting outside of clinic hours).

Health equity

Reducing health disparities and racial inequities that affect marginalized groups (e.g., an intervention that supports resource coordination for vulnerable populations).

Population health

Optimizing patient health outcomes for patient populations and communities (e.g., an active choice intervention in the electronic health record to increase flu vaccinations).

Eligibility & Requirements

Proposals must address one or more of the target areas above and be led by a member of the Penn community.

We are open to both technology-based approaches (e.g., PennChart implementations, text messaging to patients via Way to Health) and process-based approaches (e.g., de-implement extraneous steps).

Timeline

Applications are due May 5, 2023, at 11:59 PM ET.  

Application decisions will be communicated by June 5. Finalists will be invited to a pitch event taking place June 15, 2023, and we will announce winning projects in July.

Selection Criteria

Ideas will be prioritized if they have:

  • A strong evidence base 
  • Buy-in from key stakeholders 
  • Testable outcomes 
  • High proposed impact on patients, providers, and/or financials 
  • A scalable solution

Resources

Contact

If you have questions, email us at nudge.unit@pennmedicine.upenn.edu or check out our FAQs page.

Need some extra guidance? Request a consult to speak with Nudge Unit staff.

Submit a nudge proposal
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