Glossary
Timely prompts
What are timely prompts?
Timely prompts are cues delivered when an action is relevant and the person has an opportunity to respond. Timing matters alongside the message and the practical steps required.
Here, a prompt is a cue or reminder, while timely describes when it arrives. A prompt can be delivered quickly yet arrive when the person cannot use it.
How they work
The Behavioural Insights Team's EAST framework includes Timely among its four design principles. It encourages consideration of when people can act and when circumstances change.
Reminder wording also matters
In two randomized trials reported in 2015, Hallsworth and colleagues found that different appointment-reminder wording affected nonattendance. All messages were sent five days before the appointments.
Example
A pharmacy could test whether a refill reminder sent before supplies run out helps people obtain a refill. The next questions are practical: can they order it, collect it, and pay for it?
Why it matters
A prompt needs a workable next action. Good timing cannot remove a barrier the person still faces after reading the message.