PerformanceURGENCE24NCT05250089
Physicians Performance After Night Shifts
A study testing Simulation in people with Performance, run by University Hospital, Toulouse at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Emergency medicine is one of the professional activities integrating a night activity into working time. Concerns about the sleep deprivation that this activity generates have been growing for the past thirty years. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 100 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Performance
- What is being tested?
- Simulation
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 16 Jan 2024to 16 Jan 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 to 100 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- be an emergency doctor with an emergency medicine capacity,
- work full time in the emergency medicine center of the Toulouse University Hospital
- on call in at least one of the emergency reception services of the Toulouse University Hospital
- to have given his non-opposition to participate and his authorization of right to his image and his voice within the framework of the research
Who cannot join
- non-emergency doctor
- emergency doctor not on call in at least one of the emergency services of the Toulouse University Hospital
- professional with a declared personal or professional conflict with one of the members of the group
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
CHU Toulouse
Toulouse
Charles-Henri HOUZE CERFON, PHD - MD, 05-61-77-21-47, houze-cerfon.ch@chu-toulouse.fr
About this study
Official title: Performance of Emergency Physicians in the Management of Critical Situations Twenty-four Hours After the End of a Night Shift
Emergency medicine is one of the professional activities integrating a night activity into working time. Concerns about the sleep deprivation that this activity generates have been growing for the past thirty years. However, at present, the pace - duration and repetition - of this activity does not yet seem to be optimized, and therefore continues to be the subject of questions in terms of safety of care and quality of life at work. One of the peculiarities of emergency medicine is that doctors have to work in a crisis situation. A situation is qualified as critical for a patient when his state of health is unstable, and with an evolution which can be rapidly pejorative. Crisis situations are at the heart of the emergency room profession, and due to their potential seriousness for the patients, it must be managed in all circumstances.
To cope with a crisis situation, a doctor needs to be efficient. However, performance calls for two types of skills: technical skills on one hand, and non-technical skills on the other.
This study therefore aims to answer the following question: are the non-technical skills of emergency physicians in the management of a crisis situation affected twenty-four hours after the end of a night shift? The study assesses the performance of emergency physicians via complex simulations at two time frames : 24h after a night shift (the post recovery performance simulation) and another time were the participant did not have night shifts in less than 3 nights (usual performance simulation).
Read the detailed description
The study compare the post-recovery performance (PRP) and the usual performance (UP) of emergency physicians in the management of a critical situation. The PRP corresponds to the performance twenty-four hours after the end of a minimum 12 hours night shift, which corresponds to the usual time when a physician go back to work. The UP is defined as the performance achieved in the absence of night shifts during the three previous nights.
Each participants realises 2 complex simulations, each simulation will focus on a trauma case involving difficult decision-making. Each simulation session lasts approximately thirty minutes. It includes a time to complete the questionnaires necessary for carrying out the study, before and / or after the simulated practice depending on the type of questionnaire, a brief interview on the simulation scenario, and the time for the simulated practice.The simulation environment of the study is as close as possible to a reception room for vital emergencies (SAUV), in order to be as close as possible to the usual professional environment of the participants.
During the simulated practice, a technician manages the progress of the scenario under the supervision of an emergency doctor controlling it. In the room, each participant is accompanied by two trained paramedics, whose roles will depend on the scenarios.
The performance is assessed via the Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale (Ottawa GRS), questionnaires and an electrocardiogram (ECG).
- Conditions
- Performance
- Being tested
- Simulation
- Keywords
- emergency, night shift, efficiency, physicians
- Medical subject headings
- Emergencies
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
SimulationOther
Each simulation will focus on a trauma case deemed to be complex, that is to say one involving difficult decision-making. Each simulation session lasts approximately thirty minutes. It includes a time to complete the questionnaires necessary for carrying out the study, before and / or after the simulated practice depending on the type of questionnaire, a brief briefing on the simulation scenario, and the time for the simulated practice.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency physicians | Experimental | Each participant will have to carry out two simulation sessions. The first simulation will correspond to the "usual" evaluation, that is to say it will take place on a day that will not be preceded by night duty during the three previous nights.
The second simulation will correspond to the assessment twenty-four hours after the end of a call, in the "post-recovery" period. The participant must therefore have performed a night shift the day before the day when the simulation takes place. This call must have a minimum duration of twelve hours on night shifts. Receives: Other: Simulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
non-technical efficiency via the Ottawa GRS
Overall non-technical skill score assessed using the Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale (Ottawa GRS).
The Ottawa GRS scale assesses the following five criteria:
- leadership skills
- situational awareness
- communication skills
- problem solving
- resource management For each of the criteria, a score between 1 and 7 is attributed. The scoring is made as follows: a score of 1 corresponds to a novice performance, a score of 3 corresponds to a performance of a novice with experience in Crisis Resource Management (CRM) and resuscitation, a score of 5 corresponds to the performance of a physician with sufficient experience in CRM and resuscitation to properly manage a crisis situation, finally a score of 7 corresponds to the performance of a physician expert in CRM and resuscitation.
An average score of the five scores is taken to obtain an overall proficiency score, also out of 7, which will be used to compare Post Recovery Performance and Usual Performance
Measured: 24 hours after a night shift
non-technical efficiency via the Ottawa GRS
Overall non-technical skill score assessed using the Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale (Ottawa GRS).
The Ottawa GRS scale assesses the following five criteria:
- leadership skills
- situational awareness
- communication skills
- problem solving
- resource management For each of the criteria, a score between 1 and 7 is attributed. The scoring is made as follows: a score of 1 corresponds to a performance judged to be that of a novice, a score of 3 corresponds to a performance of a novice with experience in CRM and resuscitation, a score of 5 corresponds to the performance of a physician with sufficient experience in CRM and resuscitation to properly manage a crisis situation, finally a score of 7 corresponds to the performance of a physician expert in CRM and resuscitation.
An average score of the five scores is taken to obtain an overall proficiency score, also out of 7, which will be used to compare Post Recovery Performance and Usual Performance
Measured: after a minimum of 3 nights free of night work
Secondary outcomes (2)
Physiologic stress
Comparison of the psychological stress of emergency physicians during a simulated critical situation, between post-recovery time frame and usual time frame.
Physiological stress will be assessed via the measurement of heart rate variability, thanks to the analysis of data from a Holter ECG worn by the participant during each simulated practice (Post Recovery Performance and Usual Performance).
Measured: 24 hours after a night shift
Physiologic stress
Comparison of the psychological stress of emergency physicians during a simulated critical situation, between post-recovery time frame and usual time frame.
Physiological stress will be assessed via the measurement of heart rate variability, thanks to the analysis of data from a Holter ECG worn by the participant during each simulated practice (Post Recovery Performance and Usual Performance).
Measured: after a minimum of 3 nights free of night work
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Feb 2022
- Study start16 Jan 2024
- Primary completion16 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion16 Jan 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for PerformanceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University Hospital, ToulouseThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- single site prospective pilot study
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Toulouse
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Charles-Henri HOUZE-CERFON, MD, Principal investigator, University Hospital, Toulouse
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05250089
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- RC31/21/0241
- Acronym
- URGENCE24
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Jan 2022
- Last updated
- 11 Aug 2026
- 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 11 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Performance of Emergency Physicians in the Management of Critical Situations Twenty-four Hours After the End of a Night Shift
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05250089
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- URGENCE24 / RC31/21/0241
- Conditions
- Performance
- Keywords
- emergency, night shift, efficiency, physicians
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, ToulouseUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 16 Jan 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 16 Jan 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Feb 2022 (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.
Emergency medicine is one of the professional activities integrating a night activity into working time. Concerns about the sleep deprivation that this activity generates have been growing for the past thirty years. However, at present, the pace - duration and repetition - of this activity does not yet seem to be optimized, and therefore continues to be the subject of questions in terms of safety of care and quality of life at work. One of the peculiarities of emergency medicine is that doctors have to work in a crisis situation. A situation is qualified as critical for a patient when his state of health is unstable, and with an evolution which can be rapidly pejorative. Crisis situations are at the heart of the emergency room profession, and due to their potential seriousness for the patients, it must be managed in all circumstances.
To cope with a crisis situation, a doctor needs to be efficient. However, performance calls for two types of skills: technical skills on one hand, and non-technical skills on the other.
This study therefore aims to answer the following question: are the non-technical skills of emergency physicians in the management of a crisis situation affected twenty-four hours after the end of a night shift? The study assesses the performance of emergency physicians via complex simulations at two time frames : 24h after a night shift (the post recovery performance simulation) and another time were the participant did not have night shifts in less than 3 nights (usual performance simulation).
Detailed description
The study compare the post-recovery performance (PRP) and the usual performance (UP) of emergency physicians in the management of a critical situation. The PRP corresponds to the performance twenty-four hours after the end of a minimum 12 hours night shift, which corresponds to the usual time when a physician go back to work. The UP is defined as the performance achieved in the absence of night shifts during the three previous nights.
Each participants realises 2 complex simulations, each simulation will focus on a trauma case involving difficult decision-making. Each simulation session lasts approximately thirty minutes. It includes a time to complete the questionnaires necessary for carrying out the study, before and / or after the simulated practice depending on the type of questionnaire, a brief interview on the simulation scenario, and the time for the simulated practice.The simulation environment of the study is as close as possible to a reception room for vital emergencies (SAUV), in order to be as close as possible to the usual professional environment of the participants.
During the simulated practice, a technician manages the progress of the scenario under the supervision of an emergency doctor controlling it. In the room, each participant is accompanied by two trained paramedics, whose roles will depend on the scenarios.
The performance is assessed via the Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale (Ottawa GRS), questionnaires and an electrocardiogram (ECG).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- single site prospective pilot study
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency physicians | Experimental | Other: SimulationEach participant will have to carry out two simulation sessions. The first simulation will correspond to the "usual" evaluation, that is to say it will take place on a day that will not be preceded by night duty during the three previous nights. The second simulation will correspond to the assessment twenty-four hours after the end of a call, in the "post-recovery" period. The participant must therefore have performed a night shift the day before the day when the simulation takes place. This call must have a minimum duration of twelve hours on night shifts. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 100 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- be an emergency doctor with an emergency medicine capacity,
- work full time in the emergency medicine center of the Toulouse University Hospital
- on call in at least one of the emergency reception services of the Toulouse University Hospital
- to have given his non-opposition to participate and his authorization of right to his image and his voice within the framework of the research
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- non-emergency doctor
- emergency doctor not on call in at least one of the emergency services of the Toulouse University Hospital
- professional with a declared personal or professional conflict with one of the members of the group
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 |
|---|---|---|
| SimulationEach simulation will focus on a trauma case deemed to be complex, that is to say one involving difficult decision-making. Each simulation session lasts approximately thirty minutes. It includes a time to complete the questionnaires necessary for carrying out the study, before and / or after the simulated practice depending on the type of questionnaire, a brief briefing on the simulation scenario, and the time for the simulated practice. | Other | Emergency physicians |
Primary outcome
non-technical efficiency via the Ottawa GRS
Time frame: 24 hours after a night shift
Overall non-technical skill score assessed using the Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale (Ottawa GRS). The Ottawa GRS scale assesses the following five criteria: * leadership skills * situational awareness * communication skills * problem solving * resource management For each of the criteria, a score between 1 and 7 is attributed. The scoring is made as follows: a score of 1 corresponds to a novice performance, a score of 3 corresponds to a performance of a novice with experience in Crisis Resource Management (CRM) and resuscitation, a score of 5 corresponds to the performance of a physician with sufficient experience in CRM and resuscitation to properly manage a crisis situation, finally a score of 7 corresponds to the performance of a physician expert in CRM and resuscitation. An average score of the five scores is taken to obtain an overall proficiency score, also out of 7, which will be used to compare Post Recovery Performance and Usual Performance
non-technical efficiency via the Ottawa GRS
Time frame: after a minimum of 3 nights free of night work
Overall non-technical skill score assessed using the Ottawa Crisis Resource Management Global Rating Scale (Ottawa GRS). The Ottawa GRS scale assesses the following five criteria: * leadership skills * situational awareness * communication skills * problem solving * resource management For each of the criteria, a score between 1 and 7 is attributed. The scoring is made as follows: a score of 1 corresponds to a performance judged to be that of a novice, a score of 3 corresponds to a performance of a novice with experience in CRM and resuscitation, a score of 5 corresponds to the performance of a physician with sufficient experience in CRM and resuscitation to properly manage a crisis situation, finally a score of 7 corresponds to the performance of a physician expert in CRM and resuscitation. An average score of the five scores is taken to obtain an overall proficiency score, also out of 7, which will be used to compare Post Recovery Performance and Usual Performance
2 secondary outcomes
Physiologic stress
Time frame: 24 hours after a night shift
Physiologic stress
Time frame: after a minimum of 3 nights free of night work
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Aug 2026.
- 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.
Charles-Henri HOUZE-CERFON, MD principal investigator
University Hospital, Toulouse
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Simulation in people with Performance, run by University Hospital, Toulouse at 1 site in France.
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 4 inclusion and 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Aug 2026. 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 France. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Charles-Henri HOUZE-CERFON, MD (05-61-77-21-47, houze-cerfon.ch@chu-toulouse.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
non-technical efficiency via the Ottawa GRS (time frame: 24 hours after a night shift). 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 11 Aug 2026.