Clinical trial NCT02996344: Suicide Prevention Training for PC Providers-in-training
Official title: Suicide Prevention Training for Primary Care Providers-in-training
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Suicide Prevention
Lead sponsor: University of Rochester
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2016-12-19
Enrollment: 132
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This randomized control study responds to the need for effective suicide prevention education/training that is grounded in adult learning theory and advances in education, in the context of a changing health care landscape where primary care providers are likely to encounter suicidal individuals. The study will test the effectiveness of suicide prevention education for providers-in-training by comparing two conditions: 1) A Control learning group: includes suicide prevention didactics (Commitment to Living: Primary Care) delivered online via brief videos, and 2) An Experimental learning group: includes didactics plus two standardized patient (SP) interactions. One Experimental learning group SP interaction will be in person and the other will be conducted remotely using a secure webcam service (OoVoo). All SP interactions will be recorded. Both groups will be compared in terms of their suicide prevention skills using an SP 'test case' at 6-month follow up. The primary research question is to learn about the impact of practice (though SP simulation) over and above didactics alone.

Detailed description: Suicide is a national public health crisis and a critical patient safety issue. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death overall and, shockingly, the 2nd leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults (15-34 years old). 1 A recent U.S. study of suicide reported that 45% of individuals who died by suicide had contact with primary care services within one month before their death. 2 Another study found that 80% of youth who died by suicide saw their primary care provider within the year of their death. 3 Patient safety is compromised when primary care providers lack the knowledge and skills to assess and respond to patients at risk for suicide.

This randomized control study responds to the need for effective suicide prevention education/training that is grounded in adult learning theory and advances in education, in the context of a changing health care landscape where primary care providers are likely to encounter suicidal individuals. 4 We will test the effectiveness of suicide prevention education for providers-in-training by comparing two conditions: 1) A Control learning group: includes suicide prevention didactics (Commitment to Living: Primary Care) delivered online via brief videos, and 2) An Experimental learning group: includes didactics plus two standardized patient (SP) interactions. One Experimental learning group SP interaction will be in person and the other will be conducted remotely using a secure webcam service (OoVoo). All SP interactions will be recorded. Both groups will be compared in terms of their suicide prevention skills using an SP 'test case' at 6-month follow up. The primary research question is to learn about the impact of practice (though SP simulation) over and above didactics alone. The hypotheses are as follows:

H1: All subjects will demonstrate improved suicide prevention knowledge from pre to post didactics and maintain improvement 6 months after didactics.

H2: Subjects in the experimental learning group will report greater satisfaction with the training, greater self-efficacy in identifying and responding to patients at risk for suicide, greater intention to use, as well as use of suicide prevention skills.

H3: Subjects in the experimental learning group will also be more skillful in responding to patients at risk for suicide (in an SP interview, measured by objective observed ratings) compared to the control learning group 6 months after didactics.

Exploratory Aims: We will examine moderators of outcomes, differences among SP simulations (i.e., face-to-face vs. telehealth modalities), and if there is growth in improved skills observed over multiple SP experiences in the experimental learning group.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* trainee in family medicine residency, pediatrics residency, or nurse practitioner program at URMC.
* speaks/writes English.

Exclusion Criteria:

* on academic probation

Primary outcomes:
measure: Mean score using the Commitment to Living: Primary Care Observational Rating form
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Changes in suicide prevention knowledge
timeFrame: 1 day following enrollment and 15 days from enrollment
measure: Changes in suicide prevention self-efficacy
timeFrame: 1 day following enrollment and 15 days from enrollment
measure: Changes in suicide prevention knowledge
timeFrame: 15 days from enrollment and through study completion, an average of 6 months
measure: Number of participants intending to transfer training to practice
timeFrame: 15 days from enrollment and through study completion, an average of 6 months
measure: Changes in suicide prevention self-efficacy
timeFrame: 15 days from enrollment and through study completion, an average of 6 months
measure: Use of suicide prevention skills
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 6 months
measure: Feedback on training
timeFrame: through study completion, an average of 6 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Rochester
country: United States
facility: University of Rochester Medical Center
state: New York
Study officials:
affiliation: Associate Professor of Psychiatry (Psychology) and Pediatrics
name: Wendi F Cross, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Ahmedani BK, Simon GE, Stewart C, Beck A, Waitzfelder BE, Rossom R, Lynch F, Owen-Smith A, Hunkeler EM, Whiteside U, Operskalski BH, Coffey MJ, Solberg LI. Health care contacts in the year before suicide death. J Gen Intern Med. 2014 Jun;29(6):870-7. doi: 10.1007/s11606-014-2767-3. Epub 2014 Feb 25.
citation: Bridge JA, Horowitz LM, Fontanella CA, Grupp-Phelan J, Campo JV. Prioritizing research to reduce youth suicide and suicidal behavior. Am J Prev Med. 2014 Sep;47(3 Suppl 2):S229-34. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.001.
citation: Wyzga RE. The effect of air pollution upon mortality: a consideration of distributed lag models. J Am Stat Assoc. 1978;73(363):463-72. doi: 10.1080/01621459.1978.10480035. No abstract available.
citation: Pisani AR, Cross WF, Watts A, Conner K. Evaluation of the Commitment to Living (CTL) curriculum: a 3-hour training for mental health professionals to address suicide risk. Crisis. 2012 Jan 1;33(1):30-8. doi: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000099.
citation: Aiken LS, West SG. Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage; 1991.
citation: Cross WF, West JC, Pisani AR, Crean HF, Nielsen JL, Kay AH, Caine ED. A randomized controlled trial of suicide prevention training for primary care providers: a study protocol. BMC Med Educ. 2019 Feb 14;19(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1482-5.