The Work-life Check-ins: a Supervisor-driven Intervention to Reduce Burnout in Primary Care

NCT05436548 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY00020965
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 500
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and process of frequent supervisor-employee check-ins in reducing burnout among employees of primary care clinics in Portland, OR. Healthcare workers are at risk for burnout and associated adverse health and safety outcomes, including chronic diseases and occupational injuries. Not only does burnout affect healthcare workers, but burnout also affects the quality of patient care. The proposed study will create a check-in process between supervisors and healthcare workers, which addresses supervisor support, awareness of services and resources, and work-life balance. The Work-life Check-ins project expects to see reduced burnout among employees participating in the check-ins intervention compared to those in the control group.

Conditions

Burnout

Keywords

burnout; values alignment; supervisor support

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Burnout baseline vs. 12th month follow-up

  As a primary outcome, we will use the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which is considered the gold standard in burnout research. The MBI-HSS yields a three-factor score of burnout: emotional exhaustion (9 items; e.g., "I feel burned out from my job"), depersonalization (5 items; e.g., "I've become more callous toward people since I took this job"), and low personal accomplishment (8 items; "I feel I'm positively influencing other people's lives through my job).

  12 months post supervisor check-ins training

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in Turnover intentions baseline vs. 12th month follow-up

  12 months post supervisor check-ins training

• Change in Values alignment with clinic leaders baseline vs. 12th month follow-up

  12 months post supervisor check-ins training

• Change in Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB) baseline vs. 12th month follow-up

  12 months post supervisor check-ins training

• Change in Organizational constraints baseline vs. 12th month follow-up

  12 months post supervisor check-ins training

Study Arms (2)

Brief and frequent Work-life check-ins between clinic supervisors and each staff member

EXPERIMENTAL

Primary care clinics assigned to the intervention will conduct frequent (every 8 weeks) supervisor-employee brief (30 min) check-ins to identify work stressors. Supervisors at such clinics will complete training on how to use the check-ins to address work stressors.

Other: Supervisor-employee frequent check-ins to identify and address work stressors

Usual practice, waitlist controls

EXPERIMENTAL

Primary care clinics randomly assigned to the control condition will continue as usual practice. If the check-is are effective in reducing burnout, then supervisor-level training will become available to supervisors at the end of the study

Other: Usual practice waitlist controls

Interventions

Supervisor-employee frequent check-ins to identify and address work stressors OTHER

Supervisors will complete three training modules: 1) how and why the check-ins are expected to address burnout; 2) how to demonstrate supportive supervision during the check-ins process, and 3) principle of quality improvement applied to the check-ins

Brief and frequent Work-life check-ins between clinic supervisors and each staff member

Usual practice waitlist controls OTHER

If the check-ins are successful in reducing burnout, supervisors at the control clinics will be offered the training modules

Usual practice, waitlist controls

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• At least 18 years of age
• Employed at one of the 12 OHSU primary care clinics that weren't involved in the pilot study
• Supervisors (medical director, practice manager, supervisors, leads)
• Employees (patient-facing; back and front of the clinic)
• Patient Access Specialists
• Medical Assistants
• MDs, RNs, NPs

You may not qualify if:

• Under the age of 18
• Employed at an OHSU primary care clinic that participated in the pilot study
• Non-clinic employees

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Oregon Health and Science University: lead

Study Sites (2)

OHSU

Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States

NOT YET RECRUITING

OHSU

Portland, Oregon, 97239, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Hurtado DA, Boyd J, Madjlesi R, Greenspan SA, Ezekiel-Herrera D, Potgieter G, Hammer LB, Everson T, Lenhart A. The Work-life Check-ins randomized controlled trial: A leader-based adaptive, semi-structured burnout intervention in primary care clinics. Contemp Clin Trials. 2024 Aug;143:107609. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107609. Epub 2024 Jun 13.

  PMID: 38878996 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Burnout, Psychological

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Primary care clinics randomly assigned to the intervention will conduct frequent supervisor-employee check-ins. Supervisors at those clinics will receive training to conduct such check-ins. Control clinics will continue as usual practice.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 21, 2022
• First Posted: June 29, 2022
• Study Start: January 3, 2023
• Primary Completion: September 20, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Last Updated: June 29, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (2)