Optimizing Weblink Design in Digital Vaccination Invitations to Raise Trust and Booking Intention: Online Experiment 3
ClinicalTrials.gov Studies
Summary
NIH registered a behavioral research study (NCT07538349) examining how weblink design in digital vaccination invitation emails affects recipient trust and appointment booking intention. The study plans to enroll 4,000 participants (2,000 from the UK and 2,000 from the US) testing three link formats: an NHS control link and two experimental weblink variants including an improved version and a text-embedded hyperlink. This is a clinical trial registration entry documenting study design rather than a regulatory action or compliance requirement.
What changed
NIH added a new clinical trial registration (NCT07538349) for an online experiment studying weblink design in digital vaccination invitation emails. The study will test whether experimental weblinks are perceived as more trustworthy than the control NHS link and whether they improve participants' ability to identify the sending organization. Investigators will compare a standard third-party link against an improved weblink and a text-embedded hyperlink across 4,000 total participants.
This registration has no compliance implications for healthcare providers, public health authorities, or technology companies. It is an informational entry documenting an academic behavioral science study; the results may inform future public health communication design but do not create any regulatory obligations.
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Apr 20, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Optimizing Weblinks Used in Digital Vaccination Invitations to Raise Trust and Booking Intention: Online Experiment 3
N/A NCT07538349 Kind: NA Apr 20, 2026
Abstract
This study investigates how the design of weblinks in digital vaccination invitation emails influences recipient trust and their willingness to book an appointment. In this study, investigators compare three different link formats: a control third-party link previously used by the NHS, and two experimental weblinks: an improved version of the link, and a text embedded hyperlink.
The study tests primarily whether the two experimental weblinks will be perceived as more trustworthy and increase booking intention than the control weblink. Furthermore, the study examined whether the experimental weblinks are perceived to be more fluent (easier to read) and improve participants' ability to correctly identify the organisation (e.g., the NHS or a US pharmacy) that sent the hypothetical email.
To test these effects, investigators planned to gather data from 2,000 participants from the United Kingdom and 2,000 from the United States. They will be assigned to view one of the three hypothetical email versions. UK participants will see emails that appear to be from the NHS, while US participants see emails that appear to be from a local fictitious pharmacy. Due to US emails appearing to come from a fictitious pharmacy, investigators also expected that the benefit of correctly identifying the host organisation would be more pronounced in the United Kingdom than in the United States.
This research aims to provide evidence on how to design more effective and trustworthy digital health ...
Conditions: Vaccination
Interventions: Improvement to the weblink included in the vaccination email invitation, Concealing the weblink included in vaccination email invitation
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