Extreme HeatNCT06971978
Study to Assess the Effectiveness of a Heat Risk Reduction Decision Support Platform and the Barriers and Facilitators of Its Implementation With 30 US Local Health Department Sites
A study testing Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planning and Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness information in people with Extreme Heat and Heat Health, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an innovative online decision support tool (Chart) that provides localized health risk assessment for extreme heat at the census tract level helps local health departments plan and prepare for extreme heat by identifying risk drivers in their jurisdictions, highlighting… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Extreme Heat, Heat Health, Extreme Heat Waves
- What is being tested?
- Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planning and Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness information
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Aug 2025to 31 Aug 2027
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Local (city or county) health department
- Local (i.e., city or county) health department with at least partial autonomy to pursue the development and implementation of heat-health activities (i.e., not a state where all public health activities are administered at a state level)
- Availability of a staff member to participate in all elements of the trial. Local health department staff responsible for planning and implementing programming to protect constituents from extreme heat.
- Adults whose demographics and health status will mirror those of the general population.
- Current employees of included health departments aged 18 or greater
Who cannot join
- Being in a state where public health activities are exclusively managed at a state level and not having staff availability to participate
- Children and prisoners
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial To Assess the Effectiveness of a Heat Risk Reduction Decision Support Platform and Barriers and Facilitators of Its Implementation
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an innovative online decision support tool (Chart) that provides localized health risk assessment for extreme heat at the census tract level helps local health departments plan and prepare for extreme heat by identifying risk drivers in their jurisdictions, highlighting interventions that are effective for their jurisdiction's risk profile, and providing information regarding intervention implementation. This trial will evaluate barriers and facilitators of the tool's implementation. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does a health department using the tool have better reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of heat-health activities compared with an information-only control?
- What are the barriers and facilitators of Chart's implementation?
Researchers will compare health departments using Chart to health departments using provided heat-health information only.
- Conditions
- Extreme Heat, Heat Health, Extreme Heat Waves, Heat, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Management
- Being tested
- Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planning, Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness information
- Keywords
- heat, extreme heat event, climate, risk reduction
- Medical subject headings
- Risk Reduction Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planningOther
The intervention group will receive facilitated engagement with Chart. Chart is an online decision support platform designed to support evidence-based risk assessment and planning for extreme heat risk mitigation. Chart has a risk assessment platform that provides estimates of heat-health risks at a census tract level under various hazard conditions. It also has a decision support platform that links drivers of risk in a given location with information about potential risk reduction activities and includes information useful to policymakers regarding intervention efficacy, timing, and cost. Facilitated engagement includes an initial introduction to the platform, real-time questions and answers, and focused discussion regarding priority interventions and planning and implementation needs. This engagement comprises about five hours of time that can be provided over the course of a couple weeks or several months, depending on the needs of the health department.
Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness informationOther
Study participants in the control group will be provided with a package of information supportive of heat-health vulnerability and risk assessment and planning for risk reduction activities through built environment hazard mitigation and public health programming. This package will include an annotated list of online resources, including those available on Heat.gov and the CDC website, and a selected set of review papers on heat-health vulnerability, heat-health risk assessment, heat hazard mitigation through built environment strategies, and heat action planning and preparedness.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Experimental | The intervention group will receive facilitated engagement with Chart. Chart is an online decision support platform designed to support evidence-based climate change adaptation. Chart has a risk assessment platform that provides estimates of heat-health risks at a census tract level under various hazard conditions. It also has a decision support platform that links drivers of risk in a given location with information about potential risk reduction activities and includes information useful to policymakers regarding intervention efficacy, timing, and cost. Facilitated engagement includes an initial introduction to the platform, real-time questions and answers, and focused discussion regarding priority interventions and planning and implementation needs. This engagement comprises about five hours of time that can be provided over the course of a couple weeks or several months, depending on the needs of the health department. Receives: Other: Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planning |
| Control group | Active comparator | Study participants in the control group will be provided with a package of information supportive of heat-health vulnerability and risk assessment and planning for risk reduction activities through built environment hazard mitigation and public health programming. This package will include an annotated list of online resources, including those available on Heat.gov and the CDC website, and a selected set of review papers on heat-health vulnerability, heat-health risk assessment, heat hazard mitigation through built environment strategies, and heat action planning and preparedness. Receives: Other: Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness information |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Baseline assessment: demographics
All departments will undertake the pre-intervention baseline assessment. The baseline assessment will gather information related to organizational demographics and demographics of the communities that the organization serves.
Measured: Baseline
Baseline assessment: current activities
All departments will undertake the pre-intervention baseline assessment. The baseline assessment will gather information related to the organization's current activities relevant to extreme heat, including surveillance and program evaluation activities.
Measured: Baseline
Baseline assessment: implementation factors
All departments will undertake the pre-intervention baseline assessment. The baseline assessment will gather information related to contextual and organizational factors that may affect intervention implementation.
Measured: Baseline
Post-intervention survey: demographics
Meaningful changes in the demographics of the organization or service area.
Measured: Eight months after the intervention begins.
Post-intervention survey: activities
The the post-intervention assessment will query participants regarding meaningful changes in the organization's activities and profile (e.g., the occurrence of a regional disaster that disrupted service provision across the organization).
Measured: Eight months after the intervention begins.
Secondary outcomes (1)
Key informant interviews
Barriers and facilitators of Chart implementation and implementation outcomes using linkages to theoretical frameworks. Investigators will conduct key informant interviews (KIIs) with all 15 of the primary site contacts for the sites randomized to the intervention group. In this case, investigators will reference the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as a source of constructs to measure factors affecting Chart's implementation.
Measured: The key informant interviews will be completed eight months after the intervention begins.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 May 2025
- Study start1 Aug 2025
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Extreme HeatStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of WashingtonThe 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
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Washington
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jeremy Hess, University of Washington
- Investigators
- Jeremy Hess, MD, MPH, Principal investigator, University of Washington
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06971978
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00020944
- Other IDs
- 1P20ES036748-01
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 6 May 2025
- Last updated
- 11 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Hess J, Burden M, Isaksen TMB, Ebi KL, Errett NA, Gridley-Smith C, Kramer CB, McCarthy C, McLaughlin O, Patel R, Reed A, Smith MH, Wheat S, Sherr K. Pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a heat risk reduction decision support platform and barriers and facilitators of its implementation. Implement Sci Commun. 2025 Nov 27;6(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s43058-025-00829-3.
PubMed 41310808
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial To Assess the Effectiveness of a Heat Risk Reduction Decision Support Platform and Barriers and Facilitators of Its Implementation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06971978
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STUDY00020944
- Conditions
- Extreme Heat, Heat Health, Extreme Heat Waves, Heat, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Management
- Keywords
- heat, extreme heat event, climate, risk reduction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of WashingtonUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
- Study start
- 1 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 May 2025 (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 clinical trial is to learn if an innovative online decision support tool (Chart) that provides localized health risk assessment for extreme heat at the census tract level helps local health departments plan and prepare for extreme heat by identifying risk drivers in their jurisdictions, highlighting interventions that are effective for their jurisdiction's risk profile, and providing information regarding intervention implementation. This trial will evaluate barriers and facilitators of the tool's implementation. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does a health department using the tool have better reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of heat-health activities compared with an information-only control?
- What are the barriers and facilitators of Chart's implementation?
Researchers will compare health departments using Chart to health departments using provided heat-health information only.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention group | Experimental | Other: Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planningThe intervention group will receive facilitated engagement with Chart. Chart is an online decision support platform designed to support evidence-based climate change adaptation. Chart has a risk assessment platform that provides estimates of heat-health risks at a census tract level under various hazard conditions. It also has a decision support platform that links drivers of risk in a given location with information about potential risk reduction activities and includes information useful to policymakers regarding intervention efficacy, timing, and cost. Facilitated engagement includes an initial introduction to the platform, real-time questions and answers, and focused discussion regarding priority interventions and planning and implementation needs. This engagement comprises about five hours of time that can be provided over the course of a couple weeks or several months, depending on the needs of the health department. |
| Control group | Active comparator | Other: Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness informationStudy participants in the control group will be provided with a package of information supportive of heat-health vulnerability and risk assessment and planning for risk reduction activities through built environment hazard mitigation and public health programming. This package will include an annotated list of online resources, including those available on Heat.gov and the CDC website, and a selected set of review papers on heat-health vulnerability, heat-health risk assessment, heat hazard mitigation through built environment strategies, and heat action planning and preparedness. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Local (city or county) health department
- Local (i.e., city or county) health department with at least partial autonomy to pursue the development and implementation of heat-health activities (i.e., not a state where all public health activities are administered at a state level)
- Availability of a staff member to participate in all elements of the trial. Local health department staff responsible for planning and implementing programming to protect constituents from extreme heat.
- Adults whose demographics and health status will mirror those of the general population.
- Current employees of included health departments aged 18 or greater
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Being in a state where public health activities are exclusively managed at a state level and not having staff availability to participate
- Children and prisoners
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planningThe intervention group will receive facilitated engagement with Chart. Chart is an online decision support platform designed to support evidence-based risk assessment and planning for extreme heat risk mitigation. Chart has a risk assessment platform that provides estimates of heat-health risks at a census tract level under various hazard conditions. It also has a decision support platform that links drivers of risk in a given location with information about potential risk reduction activities and includes information useful to policymakers regarding intervention efficacy, timing, and cost. Facilitated engagement includes an initial introduction to the platform, real-time questions and answers, and focused discussion regarding priority interventions and planning and implementation needs. This engagement comprises about five hours of time that can be provided over the course of a couple weeks or several months, depending on the needs of the health department. | Other | Intervention group |
| Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness informationStudy participants in the control group will be provided with a package of information supportive of heat-health vulnerability and risk assessment and planning for risk reduction activities through built environment hazard mitigation and public health programming. This package will include an annotated list of online resources, including those available on Heat.gov and the CDC website, and a selected set of review papers on heat-health vulnerability, heat-health risk assessment, heat hazard mitigation through built environment strategies, and heat action planning and preparedness. | Other | Control group |
Primary outcome
Baseline assessment: demographics
Time frame: Baseline
All departments will undertake the pre-intervention baseline assessment. The baseline assessment will gather information related to organizational demographics and demographics of the communities that the organization serves.
Baseline assessment: current activities
Time frame: Baseline
All departments will undertake the pre-intervention baseline assessment. The baseline assessment will gather information related to the organization's current activities relevant to extreme heat, including surveillance and program evaluation activities.
Baseline assessment: implementation factors
Time frame: Baseline
All departments will undertake the pre-intervention baseline assessment. The baseline assessment will gather information related to contextual and organizational factors that may affect intervention implementation.
Post-intervention survey: demographics
Time frame: Eight months after the intervention begins.
Meaningful changes in the demographics of the organization or service area.
Post-intervention survey: activities
Time frame: Eight months after the intervention begins.
The the post-intervention assessment will query participants regarding meaningful changes in the organization's activities and profile (e.g., the occurrence of a regional disaster that disrupted service provision across the organization).
1 secondary outcome
Key informant interviews
Time frame: The key informant interviews will be completed eight months after the intervention begins.
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 Jun 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41310808Hess J, Burden M, Isaksen TMB, Ebi KL, Errett NA, Gridley-Smith C, Kramer CB, McCarthy C, McLaughlin O, Patel R, Reed A, Smith MH, Wheat S, Sherr K. Pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a heat risk reduction decision support platform and barriers and facilitators of its implementation. Implement Sci Commun. 2025 Nov 27;6(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s43058-025-00829-3.
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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.
Jeremy Hess, MD, MPH principal investigator
University of Washington
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Online decision support platform to support evidence-based heat health risk assessment and extreme heat event preparedness planning and Heat and health risk assessment and preparedness information in people with Extreme Heat and Heat Health, run by University of Washington at 1 site in United States.
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 5 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Jun 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 United States. 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?
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?
Baseline assessment: demographics (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06971978, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 Jun 2026.