Early Signs — digital signals of burnout and thinking changes in emergency room doctors and nurses
Official title: Early Signs:digital phenotyping to identify digital biomarkers for predicting burnout and cognitive functioning in ED clinicians (Early Signs)
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11146405 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using phone, video, and wearable data to find digital signals that can warn when emergency clinicians are becoming burned out or having changes in thinking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $701,880 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL156134-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146405 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are emergency department physicians and nurses who work clinical shifts at participating hospitals and are willing to share smartphone/device data, wearables, and complete periodic tests and surveys.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not ED clinicians, those unwilling to share digital data or attend study visits, or those seeking immediate clinical treatment rather than monitoring are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
This project follows about 350 emergency department doctors and nurses over time to chart how burnout symptoms and cognitive performance change. Participants will provide digital data such as voice and video recordings, passive phone and wearable measures, and complete regular cognitive tests and questionnaires. Advanced computer methods will look for objective "digital biomarkers" like speech patterns and head movement that come before burnout or cognitive decline. The goal is to map when and how risks emerge so support can be offered earlier.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could give clinicians and health systems early warnings to offer support and reduce errors, health risks, and cognitive decline related to burnout.
How similar studies have gone: Early digital phenotyping studies for mood and cognition have shown promise, but applying these methods specifically to clinician burnout is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schultebraucks, Katharina — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Schultebraucks, Katharina
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.