Mitigation and Prevention
The article describes a study undertaken to determine whether messages delivered by physicians improve COVID-19 knowledge and preventive behaviors, and to assess the differential effectiveness of messages tailored to the Black community. This randomized control trial that included a sample of self-identified White and Black adults with less than a college education was conducted from August 7 to September 6, 2020. The final sample had 20,460 individuals (participation rate, 68%). Participants saw video messages delivered either by a Black or a White study physician. In addition, participants saw three placebo videos with generic health topics in the control groups. Participants in both the control and intervention groups were also randomly assigned to see 1 of 2 American Medical Association statements, one on structural racism and the other on drug price transparency. A physician messaging campaign effectively increased diverse groups’ COVID-19 knowledge, information-seeking, and self-reported protective behaviors.