Ear-Zap & chat: new combo tackles burnout in cancer nurses and doctors
NCT ID NCT06977503
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study tests if using a small device that sends a mild electrical pulse to the earlobes (called cranial electrotherapy stimulation) along with life coaching can reduce burnout and moral distress in healthcare workers who treat cancer patients. About 40 doctors, nurses, and other staff who feel burned out will use the device and attend coaching sessions over 12 weeks. The goal is to see if this combination improves their well-being and resilience.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2026
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 21 ≤ and ≤ 75 years old * Patient-facing healthcare workers (e.g., medical doctor, advanced practice provider, nurse) * Experiencing symptoms of burnout, as defined by a score of 1, 2, or 3 on question #2 of the Mini-Z II Survey * Ability to attend three (3) in-person appointments, one (1) hour in duration, at Roswell Park at week 1, week 6 and week 15 corresponding to the initial, midpoint, and final assessments * Ability to use the CES daily for an hour each day * Although the device is water-resistant, participants must agree to not use the device in the bath or shower * Ability to read and write in English * Participant has access to a computer with internet access and an email address * Ability to attend three (3) virtual 60-minute group life coaching sessions occuring Mondays at 6:30pm EST, via Zoom * Ability to complete three (3) 10-15-minute pre-recorded video assignments, which will be distributed via email (each assignment will be due by the end of the week that they are distributed) * Participant must understand the investigational nature of this study and sign an Independent Ethics Committee/Institutional Review Board approved written informed consent form prior to receiving any study related procedure Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects who self-report as pregnant or nursing. Pregnancy be verified with a urine test for all persons of childbearing potential with a uterus * Subjects with a self-reported history of the following: Meniere's disease, history of vertigo or prone to dizziness, seizure disorder, pacemaker / implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator \[AICD\]), cochlear implant, or any implanted electrical devices that cannot be shut off * Inability to tolerate the required minimum stimulation amplitude (200 uA) during the initial device training at the baseline visit. * Any self-reported medical or psychiatric condition which in the PI or study physician's opinion deems the participant an unsuitable candidate to participate in this trial. * Unwilling or unable to follow protocol requirements
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Roswell Park Cancer Institute
RECRUITINGBuffalo, New York, 14263, United States
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