Evaluation of a Daily Brief Exercise Intervention on Resident Physician Personal Resiliency and Burnout

This study seeks to evaluate the prevalence and characterize predictors of physician burnout in the anesthesia residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The study also seeks to evaluate the effect of an exercise intervention on burnout and personal resiliency (i.e., less individual stress given the same workload).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Burnout, Professional; Burnout Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Prescribed Exercise Program; Behavioral: Usual Exercise Program

Detailed Description

A cross-sectional evaluation of burnout, perceived stress, average sleep propensity, and social support and coping mechanisms will be assessed from four years of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) Anesthesia residents. Burnout will be assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS).

Participating interns, Anesthesia Residency Class 1 (CA-1), and Anesthesia Residency Class 2 (CA-2) classes will be randomized to 8 weeks of an exercise intervention (15 min of activity at 70% of max heart rate or higher, 5 days a week) to meet the activity recommendations of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion or 8 weeks of continuing their baseline activity level prior to the study.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 46
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
      • Vanderbilt Unversity Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center Anesthesiology residents (Class 1(CA-1), Class 2 (CA-2)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failure to sign informed consent
• Will not be in town and available for the full duration of the study (e.g., 2 or more weeks of vacation or absence)
• Physical inability to perform the exercise intervention (including health indications)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Arm A: Exercise intervention then usual exercise program; 8 weeks of exercise intervention followed by 8 weeks of usual exercise program	Behavioral: Prescribed Exercise Program; Brief cardiovascular exercise training (>70% of maximum heart rate) for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. The exercise intervention will be a 15-minute per day of vigorous exercise that as monitored by a Fitbit Charge 2. Examples of possible 15-minute exercise regimens to be used include: Walking quickly or running up and down stairs; Plyometric exercises such as jumping jacks, high knees, squats, lunges, speed skaters, froggers, etc; Walking up an incline on a treadmill; Jogging or running on a treadmill or elliptical; Stationary cycling or rowing; Behavioral: Usual Exercise Program; Usual exercise activity for 8 weeks
Active Comparator: Arm B: Usual Exercise Program then exercise intervention; 8 weeks of usual exercise program followed by 8 weeks of exercise intervention	Behavioral: Prescribed Exercise Program; Brief cardiovascular exercise training (>70% of maximum heart rate) for 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks. The exercise intervention will be a 15-minute per day of vigorous exercise that as monitored by a Fitbit Charge 2. Examples of possible 15-minute exercise regimens to be used include: Walking quickly or running up and down stairs; Plyometric exercises such as jumping jacks, high knees, squats, lunges, speed skaters, froggers, etc; Walking up an incline on a treadmill; Jogging or running on a treadmill or elliptical; Stationary cycling or rowing; Behavioral: Usual Exercise Program; Usual exercise activity for 8 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The Change in the Emotional Exhaustion (EE) Burnout Score(as Measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)From Baseline to End of Each Exercise Phase.	The change in the Emotional Exhaustion (EE) burnout score(as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)from baseline to end of each exercise phase. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS EE score includes 9 items to evaluate emotional exhaustion (EE), with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS EE total score ranges from 0 to 54 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of EE ≥ 27 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 26<EE<19 points. Low levels will be considered for EE≤18 points.	Baseline to 8 weeks
The Change in the Depersonalization (DP) Burnout Score(as Measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))From Baseline to End of Each Exercise Phase.	The change in the Depersonalization (DP) burnout score(as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))from baseline to end of each exercise phase. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS DP score includes 5 items to evaluate depersonalization (DP) with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS DP total score ranges from 0 to 30 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of DP≥ 13 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 7-12 DP points. Low levels will be considered for DP ≤6 points.	Baseline to 8 weeks
The Change in the Personal Accomplishment (PA) Burnout Score(as Measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))From Baseline to End of Each Exercise Phase.	The change in the Personal Accomplishment (PA) burnout score(as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))from baseline to end of each exercise phase. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS PA score includes 8 items to evaluate Personal Accomplishment (PA) with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS PA total score ranges from 0 to 48 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of PA≥ 39 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 32-38 PA points. Low levels will be considered for PA ≤31 points.	Baseline to 8 weeks
Change in the Emotional Exhaustion (EE) Burnout Score(as Measured by MBI From Baseline to End of Each Exercise Phase Stratified by Training Level (Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1), Post Graduate Year 2 (PGY2), and Post Graduate Year 3 (PGY3))	The change in the Emotional Exhaustion burnout score(as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)from baseline to end of each exercise phase stratified by training level. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS includes 9 items to evaluate emotional exhaustion (EE) with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS EE total score ranges from 0 to 54 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of EE ≥ 27 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 26<EE<19 points. Low levels will be considered for EE≤18 points.	Baseline to 8 weeks
The Change in the Depersonalization (DP) Burnout Score(as Measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))From Baseline to End of Each Exercise Phase Stratified by Training Level.	The change in the Depersonalization (DP) burnout score(as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))from baseline to end of each exercise phase stratified by training level. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. DP MBI-HSS includes 5 items to evaluate depersonalization (DP) with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS DP total score ranges from 0 to 30 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of DP ≥ 10. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 6<DP<9 points. Low levels will be considered for DP≤5 points.	Baseline to 8 weeks
The Change in the Personal Accomplishment (PA) Burnout Score(as Measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))From Baseline to End of Each Exercise Phase Stratified by Training Level.	The change in the PA burnout score(as measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI))from baseline to end of each exercise phase stratified by training level. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. PA MBI-HSS includes 8 items to evaluate personal accomplishment (PA), with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS PA total score ranges from 0 to 48 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of PA≥ 39 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 32-38 PA points. Low levels will be considered for PA ≤31 points.	Baseline to 8 weeks
The Degree of Burnout Among VUMC Anesthesia Interns and Residents as Quantified by Baseline Emotional Exhaustion (EE) MBI-HSS Scores Broken Down by Level of Residency Training Completed.	The degree of burnout among VUMC anesthesia interns and residents as quantified by baseline Emotional Exhaustion MBI-HSS scores broken down by level of residency training completed. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS EE score includes 9 items to evaluate emotional exhaustion (EE), with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS EE total score ranges from 0 to 54 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of EE ≥ 27 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 26<EE<19 points. Low levels will be considered for EE≤18 points.	Baseline
The Degree of Burnout Among VUMC Anesthesia Interns and Residents as Quantified by Baseline Depersonalization MBI-HSS Scores Broken Down by Level of Residency Training Completed.	The degree of burnout among VUMC anesthesia interns and residents as quantified by baseline Depersonalization MBI-HSS scores broken down by level of residency training completed. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS DP score includes 5 items to evaluate depersonalization (DP) with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS DP total score ranges from 0 to 30 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of DP≥ 13 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 7-12 DP points. Low levels will be considered for DP ≤6 points.	Baseline
The Degree of Burnout Among VUMC Anesthesia Interns and Residents as Quantified by Baseline Personal Accomplishment (PA) MBI-HSS Scores Broken Down by Level of Residency Training Completed.	The degree of burnout among VUMC anesthesia interns and residents as quantified by baseline Personal Accomplishment MBI-HSS scores broken down by level of residency training completed. MBI-HSS is a survey to measure burnout in professionals in human services. MBI-HSS PA score includes 8 items to evaluate Personal Accomplishment (PA) with scores ranging from 0 to 6 on the Likert scale. MBI-HSS PA total score ranges from 0 to 48 points. We consider a high degree of burnout in the case of PA≥ 39 points. Moderate burnout will be considered in the case of 32-38 DP points. Low levels will be considered for DP ≤31 points.	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Uma Shastri, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 26, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): December 26, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 29, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 29, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): April 5, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2020
• Last Verified: February 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Stress, Psychological; Occupational Diseases; Burnout, Professional; Burnout, Psychological; Occupational Stress
• Other Study ID Numbers: 180313

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No