Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40484420›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Continuous heart rate variability monitoring-understanding patterns of stress and recovery and their relationship with self-reported burnout, resilience and well-being in doctors: a protocol for a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study.

Leia Kane, Derek Ball, Kathryn R Martin, Daniel Powell

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06721312 (Continuous Heart Rate Variability Monitoring in Doctors; Understanding Patterns of Stress and Recovery and Their Relationship With Self-reported Resilience, Burnout and Wellbeing.), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06721312 recruitingnot on this map

Continuous Heart Rate Variability Monitoring in Doctors; Understanding Patterns of Stress and Recovery and Their Relationship With Self-reported Resilience, Burnout and Wellbeing.

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of AberdeenRan2024 to 2025Enrolled60ConditionsBurnout, Burnout Syndrome, Occupational Stress, Stress
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Leia KaneAcademic Primary Care and Health Psychology, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen School of Medicine Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK leia.kane@abdn.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3989-514X
Derek BallInstitute of Education in Healthcare and Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen School of Medicine Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
Kathryn R MartinAcademic Primary Care and Health Psychology, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen School of Medicine Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1053-069X
Daniel PowellAcademic Primary Care and Health Psychology, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen School of Medicine Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe medical profession is facing an unprecedented crisis. Reasons for this are complex and multifactorial; however, rising rates of burnout will undoubtedly contribute to problems with recruitment and retention. Chronic workplace stress, whereby there are insufficient resources available to meet the demands doctors face, is a contributor to burnout. There are a wide variety of available self-report measures for stress, with heart rate variability (HRV) shown to be a biomarker of stress and recovery in doctors. We aim to triangulate continuous HRV measurements with validated self-report measures and qualitative data to better understand the patterns of stress and recovery. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study has a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. Participants will be recruited from multiple sites within National Health Service (NHS) Grampian. Initially, participants will complete a suite of validated scales, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Medical Personnel, the Resilience Scale for Adults and the Interpersonal, Community, Occupational, Physical, Psychological (ICOPPE) well-being scale. Following this, participants will undertake seven consecutive days of ecological momentary assessment of real-time demands, resources and fatigue, alongside 7 days of continuous ambulatory assessment of HRV via Firstbeat Bodyguard 3 chest-worn monitors. Participants will be provided with a summary report following their study period. If 40 participants are recruited within the recruitment timeframe, multilevel modelling will be used to analyse data; otherwise, N-of-1 statistical techniques will be used. Following initial analysis of the quantitative data, participants of interest will be invited to take part in semistructured interviews, which will be thematically analysed and presented alongside the quantitative data. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition ethics review board (ref. 3389193) and the NHS Grampian research and development team. Results will be disseminated in international peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06721312.

Indexed as

Burnout, ProfessionalHeart RateOccupational StressPhysiciansResilience, PsychologicalHumansResearch DesignSelf ReportBurnoutBurnout, ProfessionalClinical TrialStress, PhysiologicalStress, PsychologicalWearable Electronic Devices

Identifiers

PMID40484420
PMCPMC12161347

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.