Health BehaviorNCT04677036
Self-Reported Surgeon Health Behaviours: A Multicentre, Observational Exploration With the Association of Surgeons in Training Into the Modifiable Factors That Impact Surgical Performance
An observational study of Health Behavior, run by University of Dublin, Trinity College at 1 site in Ireland.
Trial summary
Introduction: Surgeons regularly educate patients on health promoting behaviours including diet, sleep and exercise. No study thus far has explored surgeons' personal compliance with these health-behaviours and their relationship with surgical performance. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Health Behavior
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteIreland
- Study dates
- 1 May 2020to 1 Oct 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: Trainees and consultant surgeons
Who may be able to join
- surgeon
- working in TUH or member of ASIT
Who cannot join
- non surgeon
- not a member of ASIT or TUH
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Ireland1 site
Tallaght University Hospital
Dublin, XX - Other State/Province/Territory, 0000
About this study
Introduction: Surgeons regularly educate patients on health promoting behaviours including diet, sleep and exercise. No study thus far has explored surgeons' personal compliance with these health-behaviours and their relationship with surgical performance.
The primary outcomes this study were self-reported health, health related behaviours, wellbeing, fatigue and surgical performance. Methods: A survey of validated themes on health-related behaviours, workplace variables and performance was distributed to surgical trainees and consultants in the UK and Ireland through the Association for Surgeons in Training (ASiT). Non-parametric analysis was used to determine inferential associations. Results: Ninety five surgeons (median age 35-44, 51.5 % female, 39.9% registrars) completed the survey. 94% reported having at least 'good' overall health. . A majority (54.7%) report inconsistent sleep patterns, while less than a quarter engage in regular exercise. 74% reported having at least 'good' overall mental and emotional well being.
Sixty two and 64.2% reported being regularly fatigued and bothered by feelings of anxiety and/or depression respectively. Poor self-reported health and wellbeing were associated with poorer reported off-call performance (p\<.01). Higher levels of fatigue negatively impacted self-reported surgical and non-surgical task proficiency (p\<.01). Discussion and Conclusion: Surgeons reported high levels of overall health. However, healthy behaviours around sleep, diet and exercise were not consistently reported. Fatigue, anxiety and regular rumination were reported by greater than half of respondents. When compared to overall health numbers, 20% less surgeons reported overall mental health and emotional well-being that good or better. Self-reported health behaviours including sleep and physical activity were associated with surgical performance. Strategies to improve modifiable lifestyle factors, which will optimise physical health, mental wellbeing and levels of fatigue may optimise surgical performance. Further research should target these behaviours to elicit desired changes.
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Being tested
- No intervention is given
- Medical subject headings
- Health Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
No intervention is givenOther
Also called No intervention given
No intervention given
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| TUH Staff | Staff within Tallaght University Hospital - anonymised Receives: Other: No intervention is given | |
| ASIT Members | Members of the Association of Surgeons in Training - anonymised Receives: Other: No intervention is given |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Self-reported health and wellbeing [This was a survey which was designed and validated as part of the study]
Likert scale:
In general, how would you rate your overall health? In general, how would you rate your overall mental or emotional health? During the past 4 weeks, how disruptive were your physical health or emotional problems to your normal professional activities?
Measured: June-August 2020
Levels of Fatigue
Likert Scale:
In a typical week, how often do you feel fatigued at work?
I manage work-related fatigue effectively.
Measured: June-August 2020
Secondary outcomes (8)
Sleep Outcomes
How many caffeinated drinks do you have each day? How often do you complete on-call work? How many hours do you sleep on average each night on a week without on-call? How many hours do you sleep on average each night on a week without on-call? How many hours on average do you sleep after on-call?
Measured: June-August 2020
Performance Outcomes
In general, how would you rate your overall daily work performance when you're not on-call? In general, how would you rate your overall daily work performance when on-call? In a typical week, how often do you feel fatigue negatively impacts your ability to perform surgical tasks optimally?
Measured: June-August 2020
Stress Outcomes
In a typical week, how often do you feel stressed at work? I find it easy to switch off after work.
Measured: June-August 2020
Commuting Outcomes
How long do you typically spend commuting to work daily? How long do you typically spend commuting from work daily?
Measured: June-August 2020
Physical Activity Outcomes
How many times in the average week do you engage in 30 minutes of light activity (i.e. leisurely walking, gardening, cleaning around the house)? How many times in the average week do you engage in 30 minutes of moderate activity (i.e. brisk walking, light bicycling)? How many times in the average week do you engage in 30 minutes of strenuous activity (i.e. running or jogging)? Do you feel you get too much exercise, too little exercise, or about the right amount of exercise?
Measured: June-August 2020
Diet Outcomes
How often do you eat breakfast? How often do you eat lunch? How often do you eat dinner? How often do you eat fast food? How many portions of fruit do you eat each day? If you don't know for certain, please provide an estimate. How often do eat sweet things e.g. sweets, chocolate, crisps?
Measured: June-August 2020
Health Check Outcome
When is the last time that you saw a doctor? When is the last time that you saw a dentist?
Measured: June-August 2020
Work Culture Outcome
- In my experience, surgery staff are treated fairly when they make mistakes. We have enough staff to handle the workload.
- Error disclosure is promoted and implemented effectively in our profession.
- I have made major work-errors as a result of fatigue.
Measured: June-August 2020
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Dec 2020
- Study start1 May 2020
- Primary completion1 Aug 2020
- Study completion1 Oct 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Health BehaviorStudies 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
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Dublin, Trinity College
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dale Whelehan, University of Dublin, Trinity College
- Investigators
- Dale F Whelehan, BSc, Principal investigator, University of Dublin, Trinity College
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04677036
- Status last verified
- Dec 2020
- First submitted
- 27 Nov 2020
- Last updated
- 21 Dec 2020
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- 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 21 Dec 2020. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Self-Reported Surgeon Health Behaviours: A Multicentre, Observational Exploration With the Association of Surgeons in Training Into the Modifiable Factors That Impact Surgical Performance
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04677036
- Conditions
- Health Behavior
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Dublin, Trinity CollegeUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Oct 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 21 Dec 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.
Introduction: Surgeons regularly educate patients on health promoting behaviours including diet, sleep and exercise. No study thus far has explored surgeons' personal compliance with these health-behaviours and their relationship with surgical performance.
The primary outcomes this study were self-reported health, health related behaviours, wellbeing, fatigue and surgical performance. Methods: A survey of validated themes on health-related behaviours, workplace variables and performance was distributed to surgical trainees and consultants in the UK and Ireland through the Association for Surgeons in Training (ASiT). Non-parametric analysis was used to determine inferential associations. Results: Ninety five surgeons (median age 35-44, 51.5 % female, 39.9% registrars) completed the survey. 94% reported having at least 'good' overall health. . A majority (54.7%) report inconsistent sleep patterns, while less than a quarter engage in regular exercise. 74% reported having at least 'good' overall mental and emotional well being.
Sixty two and 64.2% reported being regularly fatigued and bothered by feelings of anxiety and/or depression respectively. Poor self-reported health and wellbeing were associated with poorer reported off-call performance (p\<.01). Higher levels of fatigue negatively impacted self-reported surgical and non-surgical task proficiency (p\<.01). Discussion and Conclusion: Surgeons reported high levels of overall health. However, healthy behaviours around sleep, diet and exercise were not consistently reported. Fatigue, anxiety and regular rumination were reported by greater than half of respondents. When compared to overall health numbers, 20% less surgeons reported overall mental health and emotional well-being that good or better. Self-reported health behaviours including sleep and physical activity were associated with surgical performance. Strategies to improve modifiable lifestyle factors, which will optimise physical health, mental wellbeing and levels of fatigue may optimise surgical performance. Further research should target these behaviours to elicit desired changes.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| TUH Staff | – | Other: No intervention is givenStaff within Tallaght University Hospital - anonymised |
| ASIT Members | – | Other: No intervention is givenMembers of the Association of Surgeons in Training - anonymised |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Trainees and consultant surgeons
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- surgeon
- working in TUH or member of ASIT
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- non surgeon
- not a member of ASIT or TUH
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 |
|---|---|---|
| No intervention is givenAlso: No intervention givenNo intervention given | Other | ASIT Members, TUH Staff |
Primary outcome
Self-reported health and wellbeing [This was a survey which was designed and validated as part of the study]
Time frame: June-August 2020
Likert scale: In general, how would you rate your overall health? In general, how would you rate your overall mental or emotional health? During the past 4 weeks, how disruptive were your physical health or emotional problems to your normal professional activities?
Levels of Fatigue
Time frame: June-August 2020
Likert Scale: In a typical week, how often do you feel fatigued at work? I manage work-related fatigue effectively.
8 secondary outcomes
Sleep Outcomes
Time frame: June-August 2020
Performance Outcomes
Time frame: June-August 2020
Stress Outcomes
Time frame: June-August 2020
Commuting Outcomes
Time frame: June-August 2020
Physical Activity Outcomes
Time frame: June-August 2020
Diet Outcomes
Time frame: June-August 2020
Health Check Outcome
Time frame: June-August 2020
Work Culture Outcome
Time frame: June-August 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 21 Dec 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.
Dale F Whelehan, BSc principal investigator
University of Dublin, Trinity College
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 Health Behavior, run by University of Dublin, Trinity College at 1 site in Ireland.
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 2 inclusion and 2 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 21 Dec 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 Ireland. 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?
Self-reported health and wellbeing [This was a survey which was designed and validated as part of the study] (time frame: June-August 2020). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 21 Dec 2020.