The SleepTrackTXT2 Randomized Trial With Air-medical Personnel

University of Pittsburgh83 enrolled

Overview

The overarching goal of this proposal is to address the MedEvac foundation priority of educational techniques and technologies and improve Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) safety by determining if overall sleep quality and intra-shift fatigue of HEMS clinicians can be improved with real-time assessment and intervention. Aim 1: To determine the short-term impact of an enhanced SleepTrackTXT intervention on HEMS clinician fatigue reported in real-time during and at the end of shift work. Aim 2: To determine the long-term impact of the SleepTrackTXT intervention on sleep quality and sleep health indicators including hours of sleep and recovery between shift work.

The investigators will examine short term impact by examining self-reported fatigue captured at the start, during, and end of scheduled shifts. The investigators will determine longer-term impact on sleep quality by comparing scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) taken at baseline and then again at 4 months.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Poor Quality Sleep Fatigue

SleepTrackTXT2BEHAVIORAL

Participants that report high levels of fatigue, sleepiness, or difficulty with concentration during shift work (intra-shift) will receive tailored text-messages promoting adoption of behaviors that can improve alertness during shift work. Participants will also receive a summary of their sleep debt once a week and suggestions for paying back sleep debt. Participants will also have access to a graphic summary of their sleep hours over previous 30-days.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 100 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years of age and older * working clinically at a study site * currently working in shifts * has a smart phone and * willing to take part in a research study that requires the sending and receiving of multiple text messages daily over 4-months Exclusion Criteria: * does not meet inclusion criteria

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Sleep Quality

Measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); Scores range from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality. Scores \>6 indicate poor sleep quality.

Time frame: 4 months

Secondary Outcomes

Fatigue During Shiftwork

Single item measure of fatigue taken at beginning, every 4-hours, and at the end of shifts. Scores range from 0 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much); higher scores indicate more fatigue.

Time frame: Every 4 hours up to 12 hours within work shifts

Sleepiness During Shiftwork

Single item measure of sleepiness taken at beginning, every 4-hours, and at the end of shifts. Scores range from 0 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much). Higher scores indicate more sleepiness.

Time frame: Every 4 hours up to 12 hours within a work shift

Difficulty With Concentration During Shiftwork

Single item measure of difficulty with concentration taken at beginning, every 4-hours, and at the end of shifts. Scores range from 0 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much). Higher scores indicate more difficulty with concentration.

Time frame: Every 4 hours up to 12 hours at end of work shift

Inter-Shift Recovery

The Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion Recovery Scale Inter-shift Recovery Subscale. Scores range from 0 to 100. Scores 50-100 imply moderate to high recovery.