Tests two ways to prompt family screening for familial hypercholesterolemia
Compares two ways to encourage relatives of people with inherited high cholesterol to be screened.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Penn Family Screening for Familial Hypercholesterolemia (NHLBI R33) Trial 3
Key facts
- Where
- Philadelphia, United StatesSee the site
Where in United States
- University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicinePhiladelphia, United StatesNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Northwestern University
- Trial code
- NCT07919353
- Record updated
- 5 November 2026
- Original description
The goal of this clinical trial is to test two implementation strategies (digital strategy vs. care navigator strategy) to promote family cascade screening for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Penn Medicine patients diagnosed with FH ("probands"). The main questions this study aims to answer are: (1) evaluating the effect of the approaches on reach (proportion of probands who have at least one family member who completes screening), number of family members screened, proband engagement with the study, and proband LDL-C levels; and (2) use mixed methods to identify implementation strategy mechanisms. Participants (probands) will receive messaging that provides education about FH and provides instructions for participating in family cascade screening. A subset of participants will be invited to complete a qualitative interview about their experience receiving the implementation strategy. The research team will compare the arms to evaluate their effectiveness at promoting cascade screening.Read full original descriptionShow less
Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Implement Cascade Screening in Individuals With Familial Hypercholesterolemia
The goal of this clinical trial is to test two implementation strategies (digital strategy vs. care navigator strategy) to promote family cascade screening for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in Penn Medicine patients diagnosed with FH ("probands"). The main questions this study aims to answer are: (1) evaluating the effect of the approaches on reach (proportion of probands who have at least one family member who completes screening), number of family members screened, proband engagement with the study, and proband LDL-C levels; and (2) use mixed methods to identify implementation strategy mechanisms. Participants (probands) will receive messaging that provides education about FH and provides instructions for participating in family cascade screening. A subset of participants will be invited to complete a qualitative interview about their experience receiving the implementation strategy. The research team will compare the arms to evaluate their effectiveness at promoting cascade screening.
Inclusion: Current or recent Penn Medicine patient (i.e., had a visit with a Penn Medicine clinician in the past 2 years); Age 18 or older; Clinically diagnosed FH; At least one contact method available in the electronic health record; Alive.
Exclusion: Participated in a prior FH cascade screening study at Penn Medicine; Does not positively confirm identity; Unreachable by mail, phone, text, and email (i.e., all messages undeliverable); Those who self-report not having contact information for at least 1 living biological first-degree relative in the US and/or report that all eligible relatives have already completed cascade screening.