Real‐time fatigue reduction in emergency care clinicians: The SleepTrackTXT randomized trial. Issue 10 (25th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Patterson, P. Daniel; Buysse, Daniel J.; Weaver, Matthew D.; Doman, Jack M.; Moore, Charity G.; Suffoletto, Brian P.; McManigle, Kyle L.; Callaway, Clifton W.; Yealy, Donald M.
• Is Part Of: American journal of industrial medicine. Volume 58:Issue 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 1098
• Page End: 1113
• Publication Date: 2015-08-25
• Subjects: fatigue -- shiftwork -- sleepiness -- injury -- mobile; Medicine, Industrial -- Periodicals; Médecine du travail -- Périodiques; 616.9803
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22503
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-3586

Abstract

Abstract : Background: We assessed performance characteristics and impact of a mobile phone text‐message intervention for reducing intra‐shift fatigue among emergency clinician shift workers. Methods: We used a randomized controlled trial of 100 participants. All participants received text‐message assessments at the start, every 4 hr during, and at end of scheduled shifts over a 90‐day period. Text‐message queries measured self‐rated sleepiness, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration. Additional text‐messages were sent to intervention participants to promote alertness. A performance measure of interest was compliance with answering text‐messages. Results: Ninety‐nine participants documented 2, 621 shifts and responded to 36, 073 of 40, 947 text‐messages (88% compliance rate). Intervention participants reported lower mean fatigue and sleepiness at 4 hr, 8 hr, and at the end of 12 hr shifts compared to controls ( P < 0.05). Intervention participants reported better sleep quality at 90‐days compared to baseline ( P = 0.01). Conclusions: We showed feasibility and short‐term efficacy of a text‐message based assessment and intervention tool. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1098–1113, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.