Encouraging engagement of military caregivers
Emails to caregivers of ill or wounded servicemembers increased awareness of available benefits
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What was the challenge?
Virtual PEER (Personalized Experiences, Education, and Resources) Forums provide an opportunity for those caring for ill and wounded Servicemembers to meet remotely with their peers in real time to provide support. The Offices of Military Community and Family Policy and Warrior Care Policy (WCP) sought to increase awareness and utilization of Virtual PEER Forums by those who are eligible to participate.
What was the program change?
We designed two email variations and an activity for engaging blog subscribers in the PEER Forums. The emails used language that emphasized caregivers receiving support from their peers versus giving support to their peers, and the activity encouraged individuals to actively engage by completing a short game.
How did the evaluation work?
The evaluation was conducted over one month, during which email variations were sent and click through rates were tracked.
What was the impact?
The emails emphasizing receiving support lead to higher open rates than the emails emphasizing giving support, 16.4% to 15.3%, respectively. 47% of individuals who began the web-based activity completed it. Five new caregivers signed up for the July Forum, and the daily views to the Caregiver Resource webpage increased by 70% following the evaluation.