Evaluating Conversational Artificial Intelligence for Depression Management
George Mason University
130 participants
Sep 15, 2026
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate how a conversational method of collecting medical history affects patients' perceptions and experiences compared to clinical care as usual. This conversational AI intake system collects medical history information, can be completed by participants at home, and do not disrupt routine clinical care. The primary questions this study aims to answer are: 1\) Does conversational intake affect patients' perceptions of empathy during their clinical interactions? This will be a prospective study that follows a cohort of participants for four (4) months after engaging with the AI intake system. Because each participant serves as his/her own control, both comparators will be administered within-subject, and the order of exposure (AI intake vs. usual care) will be randomized to minimize sequence effects. After completing the AI intake method, participants will rate their experience, particularly in terms of empathy and compare it to their usual interactions with their own clinicians.
Eligibility
Plain Language Summary
Simplified for easier understanding
This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.
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Interventions
Participants complete medical history intake through an interactive conversational AI designed to support patient-centered, empathetic dialogue. Using large language models (LLM), the system interprets patient input, maintains context, and generates natural-language responses. A dialogue manager prioritizes medically relevant topics to support efficient data collection and reduce off-topic discussion. For safety, trained human monitors oversee conversations in real time and can intervene if risks such as self-harm arise. The AI intake is compared with patients' experiences with their clinicians through monthly follow-up questionnaires over four months. The study evaluates patients' ratings of empathy, communication quality, and engagement, not conversation content. Each participant serves as their own control, with AI intake and usual care compared within-subject and randomized by order of exposure.
Locations(1)
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NCT07105397