Personalized Coaching for Fatigue

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Disqualifiers: Not willing to wear Fitbit, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether personalized coaching can help emergency medicine residents manage overnight shifts by reducing fatigue and improving performance. Participants will receive either personalized lifestyle coaching or a handout on nutrition. The trial aims to determine if coaching enhances sleep, alertness, and recovery after night shifts. Emergency medicine residents who work at least four consecutive overnight shifts and are willing to use a Fitbit and participate in coaching sessions are ideal candidates for this trial. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance work-life balance for emergency medicine professionals.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It focuses on lifestyle coaching and does not mention medication changes.

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

Research shows that personalized coaching can safely help people manage stress and fatigue. For instance, studies have found that coaching by trained peers lowers burnout among doctors without causing major side effects. Another study found that wellness coaching improved the well-being of emergency nurses and reduced burnout and job turnover. These findings suggest that personalized coaching is generally well-received and doesn't lead to significant negative effects. While this trial's personalized coaching focuses on fatigue, evidence from similar programs suggests it is safe for participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the personalized coaching for fatigue because it offers a unique, tailored approach that addresses individual needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution. Unlike traditional treatments, which might include medication or general lifestyle advice, this coaching involves personalized strategies that help manage fatigue based on a person's specific lifestyle, habits, and health profile. This method may empower individuals to make sustainable changes, potentially leading to more effective and lasting results in combating fatigue.

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

Research has shown that personalized coaching, which participants in this trial may receive, can help reduce tiredness and improve well-being. One study found that health and wellness coaching improved quality of life and confidence in people with long-term illnesses. Another study demonstrated that a program focused on physical activity reduced tiredness in people with Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Evidence also suggests that personalized digital tools for managing tiredness are promising for conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID. These findings indicate that personalized coaching could effectively reduce sleep cycle disruptions faced by emergency medicine residents, enhancing their performance and recovery. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for emergency medicine residents who have at least four consecutive overnight shifts. Participants must be open to receiving text messages, meeting with a lifestyle coach, using an app on their smartphone, wearing a Fitbit device during the study, and answering questionnaires.

Inclusion Criteria

I am an emergency medicine resident with at least 4 overnight shifts in a row.

Exclusion Criteria

I am not willing to meet with a lifestyle coach during the study.

I do not want to receive text messages during the study.

I am not willing to download an app on my smartphone.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Baseline

Collection of baseline characteristics and confounding factors such as gender, habitual diet, sleep, and caffeine intake

1 week

Daily data collection

Intervention

Participants receive personalized fatigue-mitigation lifestyle coaching or passive information on lifestyle practices during night shifts

1 week

Daily data collection and coaching sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in performance and recovery metrics after night shifts

1 week

Daily data collection

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Personalized coaching

Trial Overview The trial tests if personalized fatigue-mitigation coaching before night shifts can help emergency medicine residents perform better and recover faster compared to just getting a nutrition handout. It measures sleep quality, heart rate variability, alertness, cognitive performance, and mental health.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Coaching provided. Nutrition handout also provided

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

No coaching provided. Nutrional handout only

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Lead Sponsor

Trials

372

Recruited

998,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A study involving 21 women with breast cancer showed that adherence to an Individualized Sleep Promotion Plan (ISPP) was high (77%-88%), which included strategies like sleep hygiene and relaxation therapy, leading to generally positive sleep outcomes after chemotherapy.

Participants experienced low levels of fatigue (2.9-3.5 on a 0-10 scale) and maintained good sleep efficiency (82%-92%), although nighttime awakenings were higher than desired, indicating that behavioral techniques for sleep promotion can be beneficial post-chemotherapy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adherence, sleep, and fatigue outcomes after adjuvant breast cancer chemotherapy: results of a feasibility intervention study. Berger, AM., VonEssen, S., Kuhn, BR., et al.[2015]

A study involving 50 cancer patients demonstrated that using a 7-day fatigue diary was highly feasible, with 94% of participants completing it, which helped them better understand and manage their fatigue.

After using the diary, patients reported feeling less helpless about their fatigue and were more proactive in discussing it with their healthcare providers, indicating that fatigue diaries can significantly enhance self-management and awareness of fatigue patterns.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The cancer patients' perspective on feasibility of using a fatigue diary and the benefits on self-management: results from a longitudinal study. Milzer, M., Steindorf, K., Reinke, P., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9354061/

Evaluating occupational performance coaching to support ... Secondary outcomes (self-efficacy and fatigue impact) were measured at baseline and post-intervention. Results. 76 people were invited to participate in this ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10964774/

The impact of health and wellness coaching on patient ... Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC) improves quality of life, self-efficacy, and depression across chronic illness populations.

3. tandfonline.com tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638288.2024.2374486

A personalised activity programme helps reduce fatigue in ... We evaluated the effectiveness of an online activity-focussed programme to decrease fatigue in people with prior Guillain-Barré Syndrome.

4. researchprotocols.org researchprotocols.org/2024/1/e50157

Personalized Management of Fatigue in Individuals With ... This study aims to develop digital mobile health solutions for fatigue self-management in ME/CFS and long COVID, using a patient-centered ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451865425000821

an mHealth-enabled peer coaching intervention for fatigue ... This study will pilot test the feasibility and effectiveness of the REACH peer coaching intervention, a behavioral theory-based program leveraging mHealth ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12318853/

Effect of Personalized Health Coaching Program in Patients ... This study will clarify the role of multidimensional personalized interventions in addressing adverse outcomes related to frailty in patients with HF, thereby ...

7. jamanetwork.com jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2817481

Physician Coaching by Professionally Trained Peers for ... This randomized clinical trial explores the effect of individualized coaching by professionally trained peers on physician burnout and ...

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

Title: Personalized Fatigue-Mitigation Lifestyle Coaching ( ... We will collect data on sex, BMI, and caregiving responsibilities at baseline to examine their influence on the study outcomes. IV. Timeline and plan for ...

9. jenonline.org jenonline.org/article/S0099-1767(24)00167-3/fulltext

Implementation of Coaching to Address Burnout in ... This quality improvement project demonstrates wellness coaching was an evidence-based solution for improving burnout and turnover in emergency nurses.

10. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10620-025-09315-1

Personalized Exercise Program Improves Fatigue and ... The authors noted significant improvements over baseline fatigue scores, quality of life scores, muscle mass, fat percentage, lower body ...