Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT04503382 |
| Other study ID # |
EK-002 |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Completed |
| Phase |
N/A
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
May 1, 2019 |
| Est. completion date |
September 30, 2020 |
Study information
| Verified date |
March 2022 |
| Source |
Envision Kindness Inc |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
This study builds on earlier work assessing the impact of kindness media on viewers'
emotional responses. Using images of kindness and connection, as well as other content, we
will test its impact on emotions and behavior in the field. The setting is in healthcare,
specifically a pediatric dental clinic. Using simple scales, participants anonymously rate
themselves on a variety of emotions, watch a television for 8 minutes, and then complete the
self-assessment. An honorarium is provided for participation.
Description:
The present study builds on the earlier work with a focused application of inspiring content
in health care settings. It is well described that health care providers, including doctors,
nurses, and other staff members) have high rates of burnout, depression, and
suicide-approximately twice that of the general population. In addition to the lower quality
of life for the individual health care provider, this burnout problem has consequences for
the patient, including heightened number of medical errors.
Patients, of course, also have significant stressors in their lives. Perhaps, those center on
health-related issues, or are more general in nature. In the general population, it is known
that anxiety, perceived stress, opiate abuse, and suicide are all rising.
From the patients' perspective, it is important to encourage them to adapt behaviors and
attitudes that will benefit themselves as well as others. It has been shown that being kind
and compassionate can yield positive impacts on health: people who volunteer regularly, for
example, have death rates 20-40% lower than those who do not. Another facet of inducing
kindness and compassion is kindness towards oneself. In health care settings, behavioral
modification is very challenging. One way to rethink that approach is teaching and
illustrating to patients how kindness to oneself is a necessity. Kindness to oneself
encompasses following physician instructions as well as general health practice. By providing
inspiring visual content to both patients and providers, it is believed that at least
additive if not synergistic interaction will occur with simultaneous promotion of kindness,
compassion, joy and love for both groups.
To date, multiple publications have pointed to the observation that various types of media
can inspire viewers such that they are "moved" or "touched" or "elevated." Most of these
studies have focused on the use of single films from several minutes long to full length
feature films.
Much of the above cited research has been done in a laboratory or structured research
setting. While very valuable, this research plan focuses on a "real world" setting, i.e.,
with patients and practitioners at the source in their work environments. The first step is
to measure responses from both providers and patients.
C. Objectives
1. Quantify the response to videos depicting kindness, compassion, connection, joy, and
love for both patients (or caregivers) and for health care staff.
2. Compare these responses to the standard content that the site uses.
3. Determine the impact of these videos on a measure of generosity.
4. Obtain qualitative feedback on the content in the effort to improve the content.
D. Hypothesis
1. Kindness media both moves and provides a significant lift in emotional state for both
sets of viewers (providers and patients).
2. Compared to what is usually shown, kindness media has significant impact on emotional
state.
3. Viewers will prefer to see more kindness media upon future visits.
Design:
Open, randomized, comparator-controlled study of kindness media versus commercial media on
emotions and behavior. Parents and staff of the clinic are recruited as participants. Surveys
with self-ratings are completed before and then after watching either kindness media or
commercial (standard) children's media for 8 minutes.
