Privacy Policy

Kirkville College of Osteopathic Medicine

Clear Skies Ahead Non-Profit

Consent for Participation in Research Activities

Study Title: CREW: Culture, Resilience, Engagement, and Wellness Study

Investigators:

Sarah Stretch, MPH Candidate, Co-Founder, Clear Skies Ahead Dr. Rob Zeglin, Research Director, Clear Skies Ahead Payton Cooper, Clear Skies Ahead

1. Study Title

You are invited to participate in a research study at this institution. The title of the research study is CREW: Culture, Resilience, Engagement, and Wellness Study.

2. Purpose of the Study

You understand that the purpose of this research is to better understand the overall state of health and wellness among aviation professionals and how aviation professionals access peer support resources. The information gathered may help identify trends, barriers, and opportunities to improve wellness support within the aviation community.

Aviation professionals often face unique occupational stressors, confidentiality concerns, and barriers to seeking health and wellness support. Although peer support programs have expanded throughout the aviation industry, limited research exists regarding how aviation professionals perceive and utilize these resources. The findings from this study may help improve future wellness education, peer support initiatives, and public health interventions within the aviation community.

Approximately 100 aviation professionals are expected to participate in this study.

3. Participation Procedures

Your participation will involve completing an anonymous online survey on health, wellness, workplace culture, resilience, engagement, and peer support use within the aviation industry. The survey includes questions about health behaviors, workplace experiences, resilience, wellness, and use of peer support resources.

Completion of the survey is expected to take approximately 45 minutes.

Participation consists solely of completing this anonymous survey. No experimental treatment, medical intervention, or physical procedures are involved.

4. Risks and Discomforts

You understand there are possible risks to you if you agree to participate in this study. They are:

  • Some questions may involve personal experiences or perspectives related to wellness, mental health, workplace culture, or peer support and could cause mild emotional discomfort.
  • Although every effort has been made to protect your confidentiality, there is a small risk of loss of privacy associated with any online survey.
  • Special consideration has been taken in the design of this study to ensure participant anonymity. No personally identifiable information (PII), including names, email addresses, IP addresses, employee identification numbers, or other identifying information, will be collected.
  • If you experience emotional discomfort while completing the survey, you may skip any question or discontinue participation at any time without penalty.
  • Because this study involves only completion of an anonymous survey, no medical treatment is anticipated.
  • You understand that the treatment or procedure described may involve risks that are currently unforeseeable.

5. Confidentiality

You understand that the results of this research study may be published, but that your name or identity will not be revealed and your records will remain confidential.

To maintain confidentiality:

  • No names, email addresses, IP addresses, employee identification numbers, or other identifying information will be collected.
  • The survey will be administered through Microsoft Azure using anonymous survey settings that do not require participant login.
  • Survey responses will be stored on secure, password-protected electronic databases accessible only to authorized members of the research team.
  • Data downloaded for analysis will be stored on encrypted, password-protected computers maintained by the research investigators.
  • Results will be reported only in aggregate form so that individual participants cannot be identified.
  • De-identified research data will be retained for at least three (3) years following completion of the study in accordance with institutional policy and may be used for future research related to aviation wellness and peer support.
  • Responses will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law.

6. Benefits

You understand that there may be no direct benefit to you from participating in this research study.

However, the information collected may contribute to a better understanding of health, wellness, resilience, and peer support within the aviation community and may help inform future wellness initiatives, educational programs, and public health efforts.

7. Alternatives

You understand that the alternative to participating in this research study is not to participate.

8. Voluntary Participation

You understand that your participation is voluntary and that refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

You also understand that you may withdraw from the research study at any time without penalty or prejudice by simply closing the survey before submitting your responses.

Because no identifying information is collected, once your survey has been submitted, it cannot be withdrawn or deleted, as it cannot be linked back to you.

You may skip any survey question that you do not wish to answer.

9. Compensation

You understand that you will not be paid for participation in this research study.

10. Pregnancy

Not applicable. This study consists only of an anonymous online survey and involves no medical treatments, medications, or procedures.

11. Participation in Other Research

Not applicable. This anonymous survey does not interfere with participation in other research studies.

12. Questions

Any questions you may have concerning your participation in this research study will be answered by:

Sarah Stretch Clear Skies Ahead Email: sarah@clearskiesaheadnonprofit.org

or

Dr. Rob Zeglin Research Director, Clear Skies Ahead Email: doczeglin@gmail.com

13. Research-Related Injury

Not applicable. This research involves minimal risk and consists only of completion of an anonymous online survey. No medical procedures or interventions are involved.

14. Questions About Your Rights as a Research Participant

If you have any questions about your rights as a research subject or believe you have suffered any injury as a result of participation in the research project, you may contact:

Robert Theobald, Ph.D. Chair, KCOM Institutional Review Board Phone: (660) 626-2316

who will discuss your questions or refer you to the appropriate individual who can provide additional information regarding your rights as a research participant.

15. Consent Statement

By selecting “I Agree” and proceeding to the survey, you acknowledge that:

  • You are at least 18 years of age or otherwise eligible to participate.
  • You have read and understood the information provided above.
  • You have had the opportunity to review the purpose, procedures, risks, benefits, and confidentiality protections of this study.
  • Your participation is voluntary.
  • You freely consent to participate in this research study.
  • The investigators are requesting a Waiver of Documentation of Consent because this is an anonymous online survey that collects no personally identifiable information.

16. Investigator Certification

The investigators certify that the information provided in this consent document accurately describes the nature and purpose of the study, the potential benefits and possible risks associated with participation, and that all reasonable efforts have been made to answer participant questions.

17. Human Subjects Protection

These elements of informed consent conform to the assurance given by KCOM to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to protect the rights of human subjects.

18. Copy of Consent

Because this study uses an electronic consent process with a waiver of signed documentation, participants will have the opportunity to print or save a copy of this consent document before agreeing to participate.