What is Timely prompts?
Timely prompts are behavior change cues delivered at the specific moment when a person is most able and willing to act. Their effectiveness depends not on the message content but on precise timing relative to the decision point.
How it works
The BIT’s EAST framework identifies timeliness as one of four principles of effective behavioral interventions. Prompts work best when they arrive during a ‘window of opportunity’: a moment when the behavior is physically possible, the person has the cognitive bandwidth to process the message, and the action can be completed immediately. A reminder to schedule a dentist appointment is most effective on a weekday morning when the person is at their desk, not on a Friday night when they cannot act on it.
Applied example
A pharmacy that sends refill reminders three days before a prescription runs out (when the patient still has medication and can act without urgency) sees much higher adherence than reminders sent after the prescription has already lapsed (when the patient must restart the process under stress).
Why it matters
Timely prompts capitalize on the fact that the same message can be ignored or acted upon depending entirely on when it arrives in relation to the person’s ability, motivation, and opportunity to respond.
