COVIDFACIAL HAIRNCT04579627
Facial Hair, PPE and COVID-19
An observational study of COVID and Safety Issues, run by Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
An observational cross sectional questionnaire study looking into facial hair of hospital doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how personal protective equipment guidance has affected this. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- COVID, Safety Issues
- What is being tested?
- Questionnaire
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 358 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 14 May 2020to 8 Jun 2020
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: All hospital doctors working at Royal Cornwall Hospital between January 2020 and April 2020.
Who may be able to join
- All hospital doctors working at the main site at Royal Cornwall Hospital between January and April 2020 were included in the study population. This includes all genders and ethnicities.
Who cannot join
- The principle exclusion criteria were those who did not work at the Royal Cornwall Hospital main site. Also, while not forming part of the exclusion criteria, those who are unable to grow facial hair were excluded from the statistical analyses.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: How Has the Increased Use of FFP3 Style Respirators During the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Hospital Doctor's Facial Hair? Implications for Staff Safety and Welfare.
An observational cross sectional questionnaire study looking into facial hair of hospital doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how personal protective equipment guidance has affected this.
Read the detailed description
COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus which has caused a global pandemic. There have been significant health consequences for healthcare workers, which may be related to the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). Following PPE guidance is a significant health and safety concern, under which facial hair guidance for tight fitting masks falls.
This has implications as FFP3 masks are not the only form of PPE for the face, and this study may highlight a need for employers to diversify which PPE they supply to their employees, such as full hoods if staff need to maintain facial hair for cultural or religious reasons.
As such, facial hair has potential implications for patient safety, but also these have to be balanced with personal or religious reasons for maintaining facial hair. Our study aimed to determine the facial hair styles of hospital doctors, and reasons for maintaining them during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also looked at whether these styles adhered to the PPE guidance set about by Public Health England (PHE)
- Conditions
- COVID, Safety Issues
- Being tested
- Questionnaire
- Keywords
- Facial Hair, Beard, Personal Protective Equipment
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
QuestionnaireBehavioural
A single survey questionnaire to staff to report their demographics and facial hair styles between January and April 2020
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital Doctors | Hospital doctors working at Royal Cornwall Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic Receives: Behavioral: Questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in facial hair between January 2020 and during April 2020.
Our primary outcome measure was change in facial hair between January 2020 (before guidance was circulated in the UK about facial hair), and during April 2020 (after guidance was circulated relating to PPE appropriate facial hair)
Measured: January 2020 and during April 2020.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Does facial hair change adhere to the PPE guidance from PHE
Does facial hair change adhere to the PPE guidance from PHE
Measured: January 2020 and during April 2020.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Oct 2020
- Study start14 May 2020
- Primary completion8 Jun 2020
- Study completion8 Jun 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for COVIDStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 358 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04579627
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 283609
- Acronym
- FACIAL HAIR
- Status last verified
- Jun 2020
- First submitted
- 6 Oct 2020
- Last updated
- 8 Oct 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Oct 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- How Has the Increased Use of FFP3 Style Respirators During the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Hospital Doctor's Facial Hair? Implications for Staff Safety and Welfare.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04579627
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FACIAL HAIR / 283609
- Conditions
- COVID, Safety Issues
- Keywords
- Facial Hair, Beard, Personal Protective Equipment
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 358 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals TrustUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 May 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 8 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 8 Jun 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Oct 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
An observational cross sectional questionnaire study looking into facial hair of hospital doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how personal protective equipment guidance has affected this.
Detailed description
COVID-19 is a highly contagious virus which has caused a global pandemic. There have been significant health consequences for healthcare workers, which may be related to the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). Following PPE guidance is a significant health and safety concern, under which facial hair guidance for tight fitting masks falls.
This has implications as FFP3 masks are not the only form of PPE for the face, and this study may highlight a need for employers to diversify which PPE they supply to their employees, such as full hoods if staff need to maintain facial hair for cultural or religious reasons.
As such, facial hair has potential implications for patient safety, but also these have to be balanced with personal or religious reasons for maintaining facial hair. Our study aimed to determine the facial hair styles of hospital doctors, and reasons for maintaining them during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also looked at whether these styles adhered to the PPE guidance set about by Public Health England (PHE)
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital Doctors | – | Behavioral: QuestionnaireHospital doctors working at Royal Cornwall Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- All hospital doctors working at Royal Cornwall Hospital between January 2020 and April 2020.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- All hospital doctors working at the main site at Royal Cornwall Hospital between January and April 2020 were included in the study population. This includes all genders and ethnicities.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- The principle exclusion criteria were those who did not work at the Royal Cornwall Hospital main site. Also, while not forming part of the exclusion criteria, those who are unable to grow facial hair were excluded from the statistical analyses.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| QuestionnaireA single survey questionnaire to staff to report their demographics and facial hair styles between January and April 2020 | Behavioural | Hospital Doctors |
Primary outcome
Change in facial hair between January 2020 and during April 2020.
Time frame: January 2020 and during April 2020.
Our primary outcome measure was change in facial hair between January 2020 (before guidance was circulated in the UK about facial hair), and during April 2020 (after guidance was circulated relating to PPE appropriate facial hair)
1 secondary outcome
Does facial hair change adhere to the PPE guidance from PHE
Time frame: January 2020 and during April 2020.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 8 Oct 2020.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of COVID and Safety Issues, run by Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Oct 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in facial hair between January 2020 and during April 2020. (time frame: January 2020 and during April 2020.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Oct 2020.