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

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether personalized lifestyle coaching can reduce fatigue and improve performance for emergency medicine residents working night shifts. Participants will receive either a personalized session with lifestyle tips or an educational handout. The goal is to determine if the coaching significantly aids in coping with night shift challenges. Ideal candidates for this trial are Stanford Health Care emergency medicine residents who work at least three consecutive night shifts. As an unphased trial, it offers residents a unique opportunity to potentially enhance their well-being and performance through personalized coaching.

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 prior data suggests that personalized lifestyle coaching is safe for emergency medicine residents?

Research has shown that personalized lifestyle coaching and educational handouts are generally safe and well-tolerated. Studies on similar programs for shift workers have not reported any serious side effects. For example, a study with nurses found improvements in sleep habits and mood without any major problems. Another study demonstrated that personalized programs positively affected the health of night shift workers, again without safety issues. These findings suggest that participants can expect the lifestyle coaching and educational handouts to be safe. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores how personalized lifestyle coaching can help reduce fatigue among emergency medicine residents, who often face challenging night shifts. Unlike traditional approaches that might focus solely on sleep aids or stimulants, this method offers a holistic, human-centered strategy by providing a 30-minute session with a lifestyle coach. This personalized touch aims to tailor fatigue management strategies to individual needs, possibly leading to more sustainable and effective outcomes. Additionally, all participants receive an educational handout with tips for managing fatigue, ensuring everyone benefits from practical guidance, even those not receiving personalized coaching.

What evidence suggests that personalized lifestyle coaching is effective for minimizing fatigue in emergency medicine residents?

Research has shown that wellness programs, such as lifestyle coaching, can reduce burnout and enhance overall well-being in emergency medicine residents. In this trial, participants in the "Lifestyle Coaching and Educational Handout" arm will receive personalized lifestyle coaching, focusing on easing disruptions to the body's natural sleep-wake cycles, known as circadian rhythms. One study found that residents who received coaching reported feeling less emotionally drained and were less likely to consider leaving their jobs. Another study found that 90% of clinicians felt their burnout improved after coaching. These findings suggest that personalized lifestyle coaching could effectively help emergency medicine residents manage fatigue better. ^{3 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Al'ai Alvarez, MD

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Maryam S Makowski, PhD

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

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 for a Trial Participant

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

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

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.

How Is the Trial Designed?

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+

Citations

1. med.stanford.edu med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/academy/TMAGrantRecipients/AlvarezMakowski.pdf

Title: Personalized Fatigue-Mitigation Lifestyle Coaching ( ... Approach: This is a prospective study investigating the role of PFMLC in minimizing the effects of circadian rhythm disruptions on EM residents on night shifts.

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06100809

Study Details | Does Fatigue Coaching Improve ... Personalized Fatigue-Mitigation Lifestyle Coaching (PFMLC) to Improve Performance and Recovery Among Emergency Medicine Residents on Night Shifts. Conditions.

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-dyssomnias-7-2023-5d080

Lifestyle Coaching 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.

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12522580/

Impact of a peer-to-peer coaching program on emergency ... Developing peer-to-peer coaching programs and continually improving them may contribute to healthier, more effective residents, and potentially ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0099176724001673

Implementation of Coaching to Address Burnout in ... A wellness coaching program reduced emotional exhaustion and turnover intention in emergency clinicians, with 90% reporting improved burnout. It was an ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8974377/

The effectiveness of an individualized sleep and shift work ... The primary outcome was ward-based sick leave. Secondary outcomes were SWD risk, sleep hygiene, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. A total of 149 nurses, across ...

7. bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-20022-w

Personalized sleep and nutritional strategies to combat ... This study aims to mitigate negative health consequences associated with night shift work by introducing two personalized preventive interventions.

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10064476/

Mobile app for personalized sleep–wake management ... Shift workers are also at greater risk of a range of long-term adverse health consequences such as gastrointestinal problems, cardiovascular ...

9. tandfonline.com tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10903127.2017.1362087

Effect of Fatigue Training on Safety, Fatigue, and Sleep in ... Conclusions: Reviewed literature indicated that fatigue training improved safety and health outcomes in shift workers. Further research is ...