NHS Staff Digital Wellbeing Via AirEmail (NCT06111001) | Clinical Trial Compass
UnknownNot Applicable
NHS Staff Digital Wellbeing Via AirEmail
United Kingdom172 participantsStarted 2023-07-11
Plain-language summary
The goal of this "digital health intervention" study is to test a novel email management tool called "AirEmail" (version 1, or v1) for its impact on improving key aspects of healthcare email management.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* What are the effects of technostress in staff employed by the National Health Service (NHS)?
* Can the AirEmail digital tool improve email productivity?
* Can the AirEmail digital tool improve participant digital wellbeing?
Participants will use AirEmail for a period of 4 weeks as part of their routine management of healthcare email. This active use period will be preceded and followed by 2 weeks of an "observational mode" in which email use data is collected.
Researchers will compare participants in the active study group with participants in the contemporary observational group to see if the volume and patterns of email communications have been affected by external factors or AirEmail use.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. NHS staff employed at a participating NHS organisation with an active NHS IT account, Microsoft 365 access, and routinely using the Microsoft Outlook app on a computer for email management.
. Age ≥ 18 years.
. Able to communicate fluently in English.
. Have been employed in the same NHS trust for at least 3 months prior to study participation and likely remain employed in the same NHS trust for another at least 3 months.
. Contracted to work for ≥0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE).
. Willing to complete study assessments and agree to non-identifiable email usage data being collected for the duration of the study.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
. Currently has (or agrees to create prior to joining the study) ≥500 megabytes of available storage in their NHSmail inbox (the usual total storage capacity of which is 4 gigabytes), and agrees not to exceed their NHSmail storage quota for the duration of the trial to ensure NHSmail performance is not adversely affected by the AirEmail Digital Tool processing and the study data collection.
. Willing and able to engage IT support to seek resolution of email related issues as required.
Exclusion criteria
. Currently absent from work for a period lasting, or likely to last, ≥4 weeks, or have returned from long-term absence/leave of ≥4 weeks in ≤4 weeks before joining the study.
. Plans to take ≥8 working days of Annual Leave coinciding with study participation.
. Currently participating in another interventional study in the field of digital wellbeing or digital communications.
. Receives high-volume, high-risk patient-related communication. Note: This would apply for staff employed in clinical pathway coordinator roles, or similar, where even an hour of downtime would compromise patient care.
. Has any specific accessibility requirements not catered for by the AirEmail v1 application (for example colour blindness which makes seeing highlighted words in Outlook a problem).
. Relies on using Microsoft Outlook's "categories" feature to manage administrative or clinical workflows.