Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Hello Bundle Intervention in Reducing Burnout among ICU Healthcare Professionals.

Professional burnout among intensive care healthcare professionals is a major concern with implications both at the individual level and at the level of the quality of care delivered to patients. This protocol describes a cluster randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention consisting of encouraging healthcare professionals in intensive care to say “hello” to each other. The intervention includes several components aimed at fostering a positive and supportive work environment, including the distribution of Hello campaign posters, email reminders, morning meetings, message boxes and leadership initiatives by the example set by department heads and nursing executives. Finally, a board on which caregivers can exchange messages of sympathy will be available. The trial will involve 146 participating centers affiliated with ESICM, randomly allocated between intervention and control groups. French centers will be part of the study. Each center must include on average 50 (between 25 and 100) health professionals (doctors, nurses, caregivers, physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, etc.). The professional burnout score (MBI) will be collected one month before and one month after the intervention. Data on caregiver satisfaction, professionals’ intention to leave intensive care and perceptions of the ethical climate will also be collected. No patient or family data will be collected. The statistical analysis will compare the results between the intervention and control groups, aiming to demonstrate a reduction in the prevalence of burnout from 40% to 30% with an intra-class coefficient of 0.3 and statistical power by 90%. This trial has the potential to provide valuable information on effective strategies to prevent burnout in intensive care, ultimately benefiting both healthcare professionals and patients.