Communication ResearchNHS DigiWellNCT06111001
NHS Staff Digital Wellbeing Via AirEmail
A study testing Email use data collection, AirEmail Tips and Tricks training and AirEmail v1 Digital Tool use in people with Communication Research and Technostress, run by AirEmail Holdings Limited at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
The goal of this "digital health intervention" study is to test a novel email management tool called "AirEmail" (version 1, or v1) for its impact on improving key aspects of healthcare email management. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Communication Research, Technostress, Work Related Stress
- What is being tested?
- Email use data collection, AirEmail Tips and Tricks training and AirEmail v1 Digital Tool use
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 172 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 11 Jul 2023to 11 Dec 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- NHS staff employed at a participating NHS organisation with an active NHS IT account, Microsoft 365 access, and routinely using the Microsoft Outlook app on a computer for email management.
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- Able to communicate fluently in English.
- Have been employed in the same NHS trust for at least 3 months prior to study participation and likely remain employed in the same NHS trust for another at least 3 months.
- Contracted to work for ≥0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE).
- Willing to complete study assessments and agree to non-identifiable email usage data being collected for the duration of the study.
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- Currently has (or agrees to create prior to joining the study) ≥500 megabytes of available storage in their NHSmail inbox (the usual total storage capacity of which is 4 gigabytes), and agrees not to exceed their NHSmail storage quota for the duration of the trial to ensure NHSmail performance is not adversely affected by the AirEmail Digital Tool processing and the study data collection.
- Willing and able to engage IT support to seek resolution of email related issues as required.
- Meets at least one of the following criteria: a) Receives ≥50 emails a day, or b) sends ≥20 emails a day, or c) spends ≥2 hours in email management on a busy day, in/from their individual inbox, or d) feels dissatisfied with their ability to manage email to an acceptable standard.
- Willing and able to complete study training activities - estimated to require approximately 45 minutes over a period of maximum 2 weeks - and to configure their email and use the AirEmail v1 features as part of their NHS employment for the duration of the study.
Who cannot join
- Currently absent from work for a period lasting, or likely to last, ≥4 weeks, or have returned from long-term absence/leave of ≥4 weeks in ≤4 weeks before joining the study.
- Plans to take ≥8 working days of Annual Leave coinciding with study participation.
- Currently participating in another interventional study in the field of digital wellbeing or digital communications.
- Receives high-volume, high-risk patient-related communication. Note: This would apply for staff employed in clinical pathway coordinator roles, or similar, where even an hour of downtime would compromise patient care.
- Has any specific accessibility requirements not catered for by the AirEmail v1 application (for example colour blindness which makes seeing highlighted words in Outlook a problem).
- Relies on using Microsoft Outlook's "categories" feature to manage administrative or clinical workflows.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
London, NW3 2QG
Leah McCauley, MSc, leah.mccauley1@nhs.net
About this study
Official title: Single Cohort Pilot Study With NHS Staff to Investigate the Impact on Their Ability to Manage Work Email, Improve Email Productivity, and Digital Wellbeing Before and After Use of the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool in Outlook
The goal of this "digital health intervention" study is to test a novel email management tool called "AirEmail" (version 1, or v1) for its impact on improving key aspects of healthcare email management.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read more
- What are the effects of technostress in staff employed by the National Health Service (NHS)?
- Can the AirEmail digital tool improve email productivity?
- Can the AirEmail digital tool improve participant digital wellbeing?
Participants will use AirEmail for a period of 4 weeks as part of their routine management of healthcare email. This active use period will be preceded and followed by 2 weeks of an "observational mode" in which email use data is collected.
Researchers will compare participants in the active study group with participants in the contemporary observational group to see if the volume and patterns of email communications have been affected by external factors or AirEmail use.
Read the detailed description
The NHS DigiWell study is a Before and After Study of a "digital health intervention" testing a novel digital email management tool called "AirEmail" for its impact on improving key aspects of healthcare email management. AirEmail is a Microsoft 365 Outlook registered add-in, a software programme extending the capabilities of, and automating tasks in, Microsoft Outlook.
The study aims to determine the overall effect of the AirEmail Digital Tool over a period of 4 weeks on NHS staff email productivity and digital wellbeing. The active use period will be preceded by 2 weeks of "observational mode" in which email use data will be collected and 2 weeks in which participants will complete induction training. There will be further 2 weeks of "observational mode" following the active period.
Email use statistics data will also be collected from a contemporary observational group for a 10 weeks coinciding with the time period in which active group participants complete the study.
- Conditions
- Communication Research, Technostress, Work Related Stress, Burnout, Professional, Well-Being, Psychological
- Being tested
- Email use data collection, AirEmail Tips and Tricks training, AirEmail v1 Digital Tool use
- Keywords
- Technostress, Technology Related Stress, Healthcare communication, Email communication, National Health Service email, Work Related Stress, Burnout, Well-Being
- Medical subject headings
- Occupational Stress, Burnout, Professional, Psychological Well-Being, Burnout, Psychological
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Email use data collectionOther
Participants will initiate the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool. Non-identifiable email use data will be collected.
AirEmail Tips and Tricks trainingOther
Participants will watch the "AirEmail Tips and Tricks" training videos ahead of using the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool
AirEmail v1 Digital Tool useOther
Participants will use the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool features as part of their routine email management in NHSmail, the NHS's Microsoft 365 Outlook platform.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Active Study Group | Active comparator | Participants actively using the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool features. Receives: Other: Email use data collection; Other: AirEmail Tips and Tricks training; Other: AirEmail v1 Digital Tool use |
| Contemporary Observational Group | Placebo comparator | Participants whose email use data is collected via the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool Receives: Other: Email use data collection |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Email productivity
Self-reported email use productivity
Measured: 10 weeks
Digital wellbeing
Self-reported digital wellbeing
Measured: 10 weeks
Secondary outcomes (3)
Volume of email activity
Number of emails received/sent, their categories and importance
Measured: 10 weeks
Email use productivity - specific AirEmail features
Self reported email use productivity - specific AirEmail features
Measured: 10 weeks
Digital wellbeing - specific AirEmail features
Self-reported digital wellbeing - specific AirEmail features
Measured: 10 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Nov 2023
- Study start11 Jul 2023
- Primary completion11 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- Study completion11 Dec 2023 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Communication ResearchStudies 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
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 172 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- AirEmail Holdings Limited
- Sponsor type
- Industry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jay Mehta, Dr, Principal investigator, AirEmail Holdings Limited, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06111001
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2022001
- Acronym
- NHS DigiWell
- Status last verified
- Oct 2023
- First submitted
- 13 Jul 2023
- Last updated
- 1 Nov 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Study participants provide consent for sharing anonymized data for the purpose of further research in the field of technostress and digital communications.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 1 Nov 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Single Cohort Pilot Study With NHS Staff to Investigate the Impact on Their Ability to Manage Work Email, Improve Email Productivity, and Digital Wellbeing Before and After Use of the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool in Outlook
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06111001
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- NHS DigiWell / 2022001
- Conditions
- Communication Research, Technostress, Work Related Stress, Burnout, Professional, Well-Being, Psychological
- Keywords
- Technostress, Technology Related Stress, Healthcare communication, Email communication, National Health Service email, Work Related Stress, Burnout, Well-Being
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 172 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- AirEmail Holdings LimitedIndustry (pharma, biotech, devices)
- Study start
- 11 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 11 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 11 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- First posted
- 1 Nov 2023 (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.
The goal of this "digital health intervention" study is to test a novel email management tool called "AirEmail" (version 1, or v1) for its impact on improving key aspects of healthcare email management.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- What are the effects of technostress in staff employed by the National Health Service (NHS)?
- Can the AirEmail digital tool improve email productivity?
- Can the AirEmail digital tool improve participant digital wellbeing?
Participants will use AirEmail for a period of 4 weeks as part of their routine management of healthcare email. This active use period will be preceded and followed by 2 weeks of an "observational mode" in which email use data is collected.
Researchers will compare participants in the active study group with participants in the contemporary observational group to see if the volume and patterns of email communications have been affected by external factors or AirEmail use.
Detailed description
The NHS DigiWell study is a Before and After Study of a "digital health intervention" testing a novel digital email management tool called "AirEmail" for its impact on improving key aspects of healthcare email management. AirEmail is a Microsoft 365 Outlook registered add-in, a software programme extending the capabilities of, and automating tasks in, Microsoft Outlook.
The study aims to determine the overall effect of the AirEmail Digital Tool over a period of 4 weeks on NHS staff email productivity and digital wellbeing. The active use period will be preceded by 2 weeks of "observational mode" in which email use data will be collected and 2 weeks in which participants will complete induction training. There will be further 2 weeks of "observational mode" following the active period.
Email use statistics data will also be collected from a contemporary observational group for a 10 weeks coinciding with the time period in which active group participants complete the study.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Active Study Group | Active comparator | Other: Email use data collection, Other: AirEmail Tips and Tricks training, Other: AirEmail v1 Digital Tool useParticipants actively using the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool features. |
| Contemporary Observational Group | Placebo comparator | Other: Email use data collectionParticipants whose email use data is collected via the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- NHS staff employed at a participating NHS organisation with an active NHS IT account, Microsoft 365 access, and routinely using the Microsoft Outlook app on a computer for email management.
- Age ≥ 18 years.
- Able to communicate fluently in English.
- Have been employed in the same NHS trust for at least 3 months prior to study participation and likely remain employed in the same NHS trust for another at least 3 months.
- Contracted to work for ≥0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE).
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Currently absent from work for a period lasting, or likely to last, ≥4 weeks, or have returned from long-term absence/leave of ≥4 weeks in ≤4 weeks before joining the study.
- Plans to take ≥8 working days of Annual Leave coinciding with study participation.
- Currently participating in another interventional study in the field of digital wellbeing or digital communications.
- Receives high-volume, high-risk patient-related communication. Note: This would apply for staff employed in clinical pathway coordinator roles, or similar, where even an hour of downtime would compromise patient care.
- Has any specific accessibility requirements not catered for by the AirEmail v1 application (for example colour blindness which makes seeing highlighted words in Outlook a problem).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Email use data collectionParticipants will initiate the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool. Non-identifiable email use data will be collected. | Other | Active Study Group, Contemporary Observational Group |
| AirEmail Tips and Tricks trainingParticipants will watch the "AirEmail Tips and Tricks" training videos ahead of using the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool | Other | Active Study Group |
| AirEmail v1 Digital Tool useParticipants will use the AirEmail v1 Digital Tool features as part of their routine email management in NHSmail, the NHS's Microsoft 365 Outlook platform. | Other | Active Study Group |
Primary outcome
Email productivity
Time frame: 10 weeks
Self-reported email use productivity
Digital wellbeing
Time frame: 10 weeks
Self-reported digital wellbeing
3 secondary outcomes
Volume of email activity
Time frame: 10 weeks
Email use productivity - specific AirEmail features
Time frame: 10 weeks
Digital wellbeing - specific AirEmail features
Time frame: 10 weeks
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 1 Nov 2023.
- Study websiteLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Study participants provide consent for sharing anonymized data for the purpose of further research in the field of technostress and digital communications.
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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.
Jay Mehta, Dr principal investigator
AirEmail Holdings Limited, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Email use data collection, AirEmail Tips and Tricks training and AirEmail v1 Digital Tool use in people with Communication Research and Technostress, run by AirEmail Holdings Limited 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 10 inclusion and 6 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Nov 2023. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Liba Stones, MA, MBA (+447443940319, liba@airemail.co.uk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Email productivity (time frame: 10 weeks). 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 1 Nov 2023.