Multi-tasking to Hyper-tasking: Investigating the Impact of Next Generation 911 (NG911)

University of Washington

Status: Completed

Conditions: Stress, Psychological

Treatments: Behavioral: Stress Reduction Training for 9-1-1 Telecommunicators

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02961621

STUDY00001920

Details and patient eligibility

About

Emergency call centers across the country are preparing for the Next Generation 911 (NG911) initiative, which will allow citizens to place 9-1-1 "calls" using digital technologies such as text messaging, email, Skype or instant messaging, and will expand emergency information sources to also include streaming video, photo uploads, and automatic crash notifications. The impact of these new information and communication technologies on those tasked with using them in time-sensitive emergency situations is unknown. Our study is designed to address the following hypotheses: 1) We hypothesize that NG911 implementation will have a significant effect on telecommunicator stress levels and 2) A resiliency training tailored to the needs of telecommunicators will mitigate the impact on NG911 implementation on stress levels. We will test these hypotheses through the following specific aims:

Aim 1: Measure levels of stress, job satisfaction and job performance among 9-1-1 telecommunicators before and after the NG911 implementation.

Aim 2: Develop and test the efficacy of an evidence-based resiliency training and worker support intervention to improve psychological well-being and job performance of 9-1-1 telecommunicators.

Aim 3: Build an ABM tool of 9-1-1 call centers to improve 9-1-1 telecommunicator workforce training and smooth transitions to future call center innovations.

Enrollment: 323 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• subjects must be 9-1-1 telecommunicators (call receivers and dispatchers) who work at participating call centers and consent to participate.

Exclusion criteria

• We will exclude subjects who do not consent to participate
• We will exclude subjects who do not confirm that they are 21 or older.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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323 participants in 2 patient groups

Stress Reduction Training Group

Experimental group

Description:

This group will complete a 7-week online mindfulness-based resiliency training: Stress Reduction Training for 9-1-1 Telecommunicators

Treatment:

Behavioral: Stress Reduction Training for 9-1-1 Telecommunicators

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

This group is a wait-list control and will be offered the training after all data collection has been completed.