Foundational programs to reduce clinician stress and burnout
Evaluate Foundational Wellness Programs to Help Reduce Clinician Burnout and Improve Professional Fulfilment in Health Care Professionals.
NA · Lancaster General Hospital · NCT07220421
This project will test whether a breathing and meditation program (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga and Sahaj meditation) improves burnout, sleep, and heart rate variability for clinicians at Penn Medicine/Lancaster General and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 180 (estimated) |
| Ages | 25 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Lancaster General Hospital (other) |
| Locations | 6 sites (Boston, Massachusetts and 5 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07220421 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, controlled trial will enroll about 180 clinicians and randomize them to either a Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) plus Sahaj meditation intervention or an active Health Education Program control. SKY participants complete a 3-day online onboarding workshop (3.5 hours/day), then practice daily and attend weekly 1-hour follow-ups for four weeks while wearing an Oura Ring to capture continuous sleep and HRV data. The trial will collect psychometric measures (depression, anxiety, burnout, mindfulness), cognitive metrics, and physiological markers and compare changes between arms. Primary outcomes include changes in burnout-related psychophysiologic metrics and heart rate variability.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are 25–70-year-old clinicians (physicians, APPs, CRNPs, PAs, psychologists) affiliated with Penn Medicine/Lancaster General or MGH who have a smartphone and internet access, are willing to wear an Oura Ring, and can commit to daily practice and the online sessions.
Not a fit: Those unlikely to benefit include clinicians with serious cardiac or pulmonary contraindications (atrial fibrillation, pacemaker/defibrillator, severe COPD), untreated severe sleep apnea, severe psychiatric illness, current daily mind-body practitioners, or anyone unwilling to complete the program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce clinician burnout and improve sleep, mood, cognitive function, and physiological stress markers such as HRV.
How similar studies have performed: Previous smaller studies of SKY and related breathing/meditation programs have reported improvements in stress, mood, sleep, and HRV, but large randomized trials specifically in clinician populations are limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 25-70 years of age, * UPHS or MGH clinician (physician, APP, CRNP, PA, psychologist), * Access to smart phone and internet, * Ability to give informed consent, * Interested in wearing an Oura ring and being part of a study to evaluate breath and meditation-derived exercises, * Willing to do relaxation exercise every day for 4 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: * Currently maintaining a regular/daily mind-body program practice (eg. meditation, yoga or breathing techniques), * Atrial fibrillation, * Pacemaker/defibrillator, * Untreated or severe obstructive sleep apnea (AHI\>=30), * History of diaphragm paralysis, * Unable or unwilling to complete the workshop, * Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), * Severe valvular heart disease, * Prior or planned chest/abdominal or nasal/facial surgery within 6 months, * Severe psychiatric illness (e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder), active substance use, seizure disorder or major somatic illness (uncontrolled hypertension, lung disease, liver disease, cancer or heart disease).
Where this trial is running
Boston, Massachusetts and 5 other locations
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (RECRUITING)
- Princeton Medical Center / Princeton Health affiliated sites — Plainsboro, New Jersey, United States (RECRUITING)
- Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health — Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States (RECRUITING)
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (RECRUITING)
- Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (RECRUITING)
- Pennsylvania Hospital — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mrinalini Meesala, MD — Penn Medicine / Lancaster General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Halle Becker, MPH
- Email: Halle.Becker@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
- Phone: 7175441777
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Burnout, Professional, Stress, Psychological, Stress, Physiological, Psychological Well-Being, Mind-Body Therapies, Work Related Stress, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga Breathing and Sahaj Meditation, Stress Reduction