Mobile App Notifications for Intern Health

(IHS Trial)

Overseen By Srijan Sen, MD, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Michigan

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a smartphone app that sends notifications to improve the mood, physical activity, and sleep of medical interns. The goal is to determine if these messages positively impact their daily lives. Participants may receive messages based on their mood and activity data. Medical interns for the 2024-2025 year with a smartphone and the Intern Health Study app may be suitable candidates. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance the well-being of future medical professionals.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

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

What prior data suggests that this mobile app notification is safe for medical interns?

Research has shown that mobile apps sending reminders to change habits are safe. These apps help improve mood, physical activity, and sleep. Studies have found that people generally respond well to these reminders, with no reports of serious side effects. The reminders encourage positive actions without causing stress or harm. Participants receive messages on their smartphones to help them stay aware of their health routines. Overall, mobile app reminders provide a safe way to support healthier habits. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these mobile app notifications because they offer a personalized approach to improving intern health. Unlike traditional methods that might not consider individual behavior or needs, this approach delivers tailored messages based on real-time data like steps, sleep, and mood. This level of customization could lead to more effective behavior change, making it a promising tool for supporting the well-being of medical interns.

What evidence suggests that this mobile app notification is effective for improving intern health?

Research shows that mobile health tools can improve mental health in stressful work settings. In this trial, participants will receive personalized notifications through a mobile app. Studies have found that these notifications can boost mood, increase physical activity, and improve sleep for individuals under high stress, such as medical interns. Users of similar smartphone tools reported better mental well-being and healthier lifestyles. This evidence suggests that personalized notifications could effectively support the health of medical interns. ^{2 4 5 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for medical interns in the 2024-2025 year who have an iPhone or Android phone. They must join the Intern Health Study by logging into a mobile app, consenting to participate, and completing a baseline survey before June.

Inclusion Criteria

Medical intern during the 2024-2025 internship year

iPhone or Android phone user

Logged into the Intern Health Study mobile app, completed consent, and filled out baseline survey by June 30 prior to the start of intern year

Exclusion Criteria

Not applicable.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention

Participants receive mobile phone notifications to improve mood, physical activity, and sleep

1 year

Daily notifications

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

3 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Intern Health Study behavioral change mobile notification

Trial Overview The study tests whether receiving behavioral change notifications on a smartphone can improve mood, increase physical activity, and enhance sleep quality among medical interns.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Within-participant micro-randomization Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Each day in the study, with probability .5 for each, a participant is randomized to receive a notification that day or no notification that day. If a participant is assigned to receive a notification that day, 1 message set will be randomly selected from a pool of 358 core message sets. Each core message set will be comprised of 4 messages containing comparable content, however they will be tailored based on the participant's wearable (steps, sleep) or mood data for the specified time interval (7 days, 30 days, since the start of internship) as follows: 1) no data, 2) low, 3) moderate, or 4) high.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Michigan

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,891

Recruited

6,458,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A review of 6 systematic reviews identified only 22 stand-alone mobile health apps that have been evaluated in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), primarily focusing on diabetes, mental health, and obesity.

While 11 out of 23 trials showed meaningful health benefits from these apps, the overall quality of evidence was low due to small sample sizes and high risk of bias, indicating a need for more rigorous studies before these apps can be widely prescribed.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Prescribable mHealth apps identified from an overview of systematic reviews. Byambasuren, O., Sanders, S., Beller, E., et al.[2020]

The STARSS trial, involving 6,338 participants, showed that using SMS prompts for reporting adverse events following immunization (AEFI) significantly improved detection rates, with a 13-fold increase in AEFI detection compared to traditional methods.

Out of the SMS group, 184 verified AEFIs were reported, while only 6 were reported in the control group, highlighting the efficacy of mobile health technology in enhancing vaccine safety surveillance.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Efficacy of m-Health for the detection of adverse events following immunization - The stimulated telephone assisted rapid safety surveillance (STARSS) randomised control trial. Gold, MS., Lincoln, G., Cashman, P., et al.[2021]

A mobile app was developed to facilitate reporting of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) for the influenza vaccine, and it successfully recorded 1104 data points from 38 participants, indicating its feasibility for AEFI reporting.

Despite the app's success in data collection, only 63% of participants downloaded it, and only 28% reported new or worsening health conditions after vaccination, suggesting barriers to wider adoption that need to be addressed in future studies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An evaluation of the feasibility and usability of a proof of concept mobile app for adverse event reporting post influenza vaccination. Wilson, K., Atkinson, KM., Westeinde, J., et al.[2022]

The study involved 86 participants who contributed to the development of tailored notifications for a mobile health intervention aimed at reducing sodium intake and increasing physical activity to lower blood pressure.

Community-generated notifications were found to be more effective, using direct and relatable language, while also addressing specific cultural and social needs, highlighting the importance of incorporating local perspectives in health interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Community Participatory Approach to Creating Contextually Tailored mHealth Notifications: myBPmyLife Project. Hellem, AK., Casetti, A., Bowie, K., et al.[2023]

A systematic review of nutrition apps found that while they can lead to increased adherence to diet monitoring and some weight loss advantages, the evidence is limited, with only four studies meeting the inclusion criteria.

Most studies focused on weight loss rather than improving nutrition knowledge, and the outcomes were inconsistent, indicating a need for further research that incorporates behavioral theories into app design.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The use of mobile apps to improve nutrition outcomes: A systematic literature review. DiFilippo, KN., Huang, WH., Andrade, JE., et al.[2022]

In a study involving 153 employees, 42% participated in testing an app designed for reporting adverse events following immunization (AEFI), with 63% of users rating the experience positively, indicating good acceptance of the app-based technology.

Concerns about data protection were the main reason for declining participation, suggesting that improving data security measures could enhance the acceptability and effectiveness of app-based AEFI reporting systems.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

User preferences for a mobile application to report adverse events following vaccination. Nguyen, MTH., Ott, JJ., Caputo, M., et al.[2020]

The SmartVax system successfully engaged over 70% of vaccinated patients through SMS to report adverse events following immunization (AEFI), demonstrating its effectiveness in active monitoring.

Of the respondents, 11.3% reported possible AEFI, indicating that SMS-based surveillance can provide timely data to complement traditional passive reporting systems for vaccine safety.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using automated text messages to monitor adverse events following immunisation in general practice. Leeb, A., Regan, AK., Peters, IJ., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06465680

Study Details | NCT06465680 | Intern Health Study 2024 The goal of this trial is to evaluate the efficacy of a mobile health intervention intending to help improve the mental health of medical interns. The ...

2. internhealthstudy.org internhealthstudy.org/

Intern Health Study The Intern Health Study is an NIH-funded longitudinal cohort study that assesses stress and mood in medical interns at institutions around the US and China.

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7157494/

Assessing Real-Time Moderation for Developing Adaptive ... This study aimed to investigate when to provide mHealth interventions to individuals in stressful work environments to improve their behavior and mental health.

4. openicpsr.org openicpsr.org/openicpsr/project/129225/version/V1/view

Intern Health Study We are hopeful that data collected in this study will further understanding of the psychological, genetic, and program factors involved in the development of ...

5. trial.medpath.com trial.medpath.com/clinical-trial/6ff221fb5e77c5d0/nct05537532-intern-health-study-micro-randomized-trial

Intern Health Study 2021 | MedPath The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of gamified competition (delivered through a smartphone) for improving the physical activity and sleep of ...

6. internhealthstudy.org internhealthstudy.org/us-consent

US | intern-health-app The study uses a mobile app for surveys, daily mood ratings, and a fitness tracker for data collection, providing personalized feedback.

7. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-physical-activities-6-2024-dd989

Mobile App Notifications for Intern Health (IHS Trial) Trial Overview The study tests whether receiving behavioral change notifications on a smartphone can improve mood, increase physical activity, and enhance sleep ...