Lifestyle Coaching for Fatigue in Emergency Medicine Residents

Overseen By Nikitha Menon, BA

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: Non-SHC residents, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

Duration: 3 weeks

30 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to determine whether personalized lifestyle coaching minimizes the negative impact of circadian disruption on performance and recovery in emergency medicine physician trainees during night shifts.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of this treatment for fatigue in emergency medicine residents?

Research shows that wellness interventions, including lifestyle coaching, can help reduce burnout and improve wellness in emergency medicine residents. Factors like sleep quality and mindfulness techniques, which are often part of lifestyle coaching, have been identified as helpful in managing burnout and improving resilience. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

How does the treatment for fatigue in emergency medicine residents differ from other treatments?

This treatment is unique because it combines personalized lifestyle coaching with educational handouts to address fatigue, focusing on modifiable lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity, rather than relying on medication or standard medical interventions. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Research Team

Maryam S Makowski, PhD

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Al'ai Alvarez, MD

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for Stanford Health Care Emergency Medicine residents (from first to fourth year) who are scheduled to work at least three consecutive overnight shifts in the SHC Emergency Department. It's not open to non-SHC residents or those not currently rotating in the department.

Inclusion Criteria

I am a Stanford Health Care Emergency Medicine resident scheduled for 3+ overnight shifts.

Exclusion Criteria

Emergency medicine residents from Stanford Health Care who are not currently working in the Stanford Emergency Medicine Department.

People who are not emergency medicine residents at Stanford Health Care are not eligible.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive personalized lifestyle coaching and educational handouts for fatigue mitigation during night shifts

3 weeks

1 visit (in-person) for coaching session

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in task load index, psychomotor vigilance, sleepiness, and subjective experience scales

3 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Handout
• Personalized lifestyle coaching and educational handout

Trial Overview The study is testing if personalized lifestyle coaching, along with an educational handout, can help emergency medicine trainees better handle fatigue and stress from working night shifts, potentially improving their performance and recovery.

Participant Groups

Group I: Lifestyle Coaching and Educational Handout Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Lifestyle coach-led 30-minute focused, personalized session in addition to educational handout containing lifestyle tips for fatigue mitigation in night shift workers, which will be given to all participants at the beginning of the study.

Group II: Educational Handout Control Active Control 1 Intervention

An educational handout containing lifestyle tips for fatigue mitigation in night shift workers will be given to all participants at the beginning of the study. Personalized coaching will not be offered to participants in this arm.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

References

1. Egypt pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Remember the Drive Home? An Assessment of Emergency Providers' Sleep Deficit. [2022]

2. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Wellness Interventions in Emergency Medicine Residency Programs: Review of the Literature Since 2017. [2021]

3. Egypt pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Its Associated Factors among Emergency Medicine Residents in South Korea: A Nationwide Survey. [2022]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Wellness: Combating Burnout and Its Consequences in Emergency Medicine. [2020]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Self-reported modifying effects of resilience factors on perceptions of workload, patient outcomes, and burnout in physician-attendees of an international emergency medicine conference. [2020]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Association of Resident Shift Length with Procedural Complications. [2021]

7. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cross-sectional relationship of reported fatigue to obesity, diet, and physical activity: results from the third national health and nutrition examination survey. [2022]

8. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Shift Happens: Emergency Physician Perspectives on Fatigue and Shift Work. [2023]