ESCAPE (Evaluating Surge Capacity And PrEparedness) (ESCAPE)

ESCAPE (Evaluating Surge Capacity And PrEparedness): a Multicenter Study on Recruiting Students as Surge Capacity Workforce in the Event of a Pandemic

The ESCAPE study intends to assess the possibility of recruiting students as surge capacity work force in hospitals in the event of a major medical incident such as an epidemic or pandemic.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Disaster Medicine; Delivery of Health Care
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Answering questionnaire

Detailed Description

The ESCAPE study intends to assess the possibility of recruiting students as surge capacity work force in hospitals in event of a major medical incident such as an epidemic or pandemic. The study consists of two parts:

• To identify the need for student surge capacity work force in relevant departments most affected by major medical incidents (e.g. Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, etc.). This part also raises the question of which tasks can be delegated to such a surge capacity workforce and which training may be required to prepare for such tasks.
• To identify and quantify the willingness of students to enroll as surge capacity workforce, identifying which tasks they would be willing to perform and which organisational framework is required for their work (training, insurance, pay, etc.).

Both subparts as planned as questionnaires to be completed voluntarily and anonymously.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 3000

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Munich, Germany, 81377
    • Department of Anaesthesiology of the University Hospital of Munich

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

• Heads of departments typically affected by major medical incidents. These include: Emergency Department, Intensive Care Units, Intermediate Care Units, Medical and Surgical wards, Department for Microbiology, Department for Infectious Diseases, Department for Laboratory Medicine, Antibiotic Stewardship Team, Department for Tropical Medicine, Max-von-Pettenkofer Institute, Institute for Emergency Medicine, Faculty Dean's office. Included were: heads of departments and other members of leadership from the medical staff, nursing staff and other supporting staff.
• Medical students (aged 18 and over) in any year, currently studying at any of the 38 medical faculties in Germany.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Medical experts (heads of departements and other management positions) working in selected departments that are typically affected by major medical incidents at the time of questionnaire roll-out.
• Medical students >18 years of age of any year enrolled in the year 2023-2024 in any of the 38 medical faculties in Germany

Exclusion Criteria:

• none, as questionnaire participation was achieved by invitation of eligible volunteers

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Medical experts in departments at risk; Expert healthcare workers at the Munich University Hospital within departments potentially affected by a major medical incident that could benefit from student surge capacity workforce. The following departments are included: Emergency Department, Intensive Care Units, Intermediate Care Units, Medical and Surgical wards, Department for Microbiology, Department for Infectious Diseases, Department for Laboratory Medicine, Antibiotic Stewardship Team, Department for Tropical Medicine, Max-von-Pettenkofer Institute, Institute for Emergency Medicine, Faculty Dean's office.	Behavioral: Answering questionnaire; A questionnaires for each group has been developped and will be distributed for voluntary and anonymous completion.
Students; Medical students from all medical faculties in Germany to be questioned on their willingness to partake in clinical work as surge capacity work force in the context of a potential major medical incident.	Behavioral: Answering questionnaire; A questionnaires for each group has been developped and will be distributed for voluntary and anonymous completion.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Student surge capacity workforce needed	Is the general opinion that a student workforce would be beneficial in the context of a major medical incident?	baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Student willingness to work as student surge capacity workforce	Are medical students willing to be involved as surge capacity workforce?	baseline
Tasks to be delegated to surge capacity workforce	What tasks can be delegated to a student workforce and what training is required to safely delegate these?	baseline
Organisational framework in which to embed surge capacity workforce	What organisational aspects need to be addressed in setting up a student surge capacity workforce?	baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ludwig-Maximilians - University of Munich
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Bernhard Zwissler, Prof, MD, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Munich; Principal Investigator: Martin Fischer, Prof, MD, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Munich

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 26, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 16, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 16, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): November 22, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 30, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 27, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: pandemic preparedness; Surge capacity; Disaster medicine; Hospital volunteers
• Other Study ID Numbers: Klinikum Großhadern

Drug and device information, study documents

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