I thought this recent UK gov release may be of interest to the list.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/applying-behavioural-insight-health

Adam.

A discussion paper on applying behavioural insight to health has been 
published today by the Cabinet Office.

The paper, written by the new Behavioural Insights Team in the Cabinet 
Office, draws on insights from behavioural science and behavioural 
economics and shows ways in which health improvements can be made without 
resorting to legislation or costly programmes.

The paper sets out a number of examples where local authorities, charities, 
government and private sector organisations are developing responses that 
encourage healthier behaviours. It also announces a number of new 
initiatives introduced by the Behavioural Insights Team in partnership with 
other organisations:

A smoking cessation pilot beginning in early 2011. This will use encourage 
participants to make commitments to quit smoking (for example, by signing a 
contract) and will reward those who pass regular smoking tests. The pilot 
will be run by Boots, with the support of the Behavioural Insights Team and 
the Department of Health A system of 'prompted choice' on organ donor 
registration will be introduced to the DVLA online application form for 
renewing and applying for driving licenses. This will require applicants to 
state whether or not they wish to become an organ donor. Where this has 
been introduced in other countries, it has significantly increased the 
number of organ donors. If the DVLA scheme proves successful, it will be 
rolled out to other areas. Minister for Government Policy in the Cabinet 
Office Oliver Letwin said:

In the UK today, behavioural and lifestyle factors are thought to be major 
contributors in around half of all deaths. They include smoking, unhealthy 
diet, excess alcohol consumption and inactive lifestyles. The Government 
cannot address these issues successfully using heavy-handed legislation to 
rebalance our diets, change our desire to drink too much alcohol on a 
Friday night, or make our lives more active

"This paper shows how a new approach, drawing on insights from behavioural 
economics and behavioural sciences, can help to encourage people to adopt 
healthier lifestyles. It does not attempt to be comprehensive or to suggest 
that behaviour change techniques are the silver bullet that can solve every 
problem, but does show how, in a number of areas, there are often 
cost-effective ways of encouraging behavioural change that are less 
intrusive and will lead to better results for individuals and for society.

Today, Mr Letwin has also announced that the Behavioural Insight Team is 
working with HMRC to encourage people to pay their tax bills on time, 
helping to save the tax payer money and preventing the need to take tougher 
action. The trials will test the effects of: people's general preference 
for keeping in step with their peers (most of whom will have paid their 
tax); reciprocity (by drawing attention to the vital services paid for by 
people's tax payments); and loss aversion (taking action to avoid the 
increasing costs of leaving tax bills unpaid). The trials will start in 
February.

The Coalition Government announced their commitment to encourage, support 
and enable people to make better choices themselves in the Coalition 
Agreement. The Coalition Government has previously announced a number of 
initiatives which draw upon behavioural insights in support of government 
objectives. These include:

Drawing on these insights, the Behavioural Insights Team together with DoH, 
DWP and CLG is working with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead - 
one of the four Big Society 'vanguard communities' announced by the Prime 
Minister in July 2010 - to develop a reciprocal time credit scheme to help 
catalyse more peer-to-peer provision of social care. The introduction of 
seven day cooling off periods for those taking up Store Cards, in order to 
offer greater protection for consumers Encouraging homeowners to introduce 
energy efficiency measures (often in ways that saves money) through better 
and more targeted information for homeowners Changes to the pension system 
to one that requires citizens to 'opt-out' rather than an opt-out system, 
to be introduced in 2012. When these systems have been introduced 
elsewhere, they have helped to increase saving rates dramatically

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