Chatbot Communication Training for Communication

Recruiting at 2 trial locations

Overseen By Jenny KR Francis, MD, MPH

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Disqualifiers: Non-English/Spanish speakers

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

166 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

In order to support the desire of most adolescents to delay pregnancy (parenting) until their own adulthood, pediatricians must be comfortable and skilled in having reproductive health conversations with adolescents and the mothers of adolescents. Advocates for Youth (AFY), a national, youth-facing, well-established, non-profit, is known for innovative sexual and reproductive health programs. AFY successfully implemented a virtual simulation for schoolteachers to practice sex education scenarios by interacting with culturally diverse student avatars. We will partner with AFY to adapt their novel simulation-based approach to train medical residents in using SDM with youth and parent avatars. Our long-term goal is to build clinician confidence in SDM and actual skills via simulation training with dyadic avatars. We will also explore how evaluation of clinician communication skills varies from youth-, parent-, and clinician-viewpoints.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether participants need to stop taking their current medications.

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Chatbot Communication Training for improving communication?

Research shows that communication skills training can help healthcare providers communicate more effectively with patients, leading to better patient satisfaction and care outcomes. Additionally, patient coaching has been effective in enhancing communication during medical consultations. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Is Chatbot Communication Training generally safe for humans?

There is no specific safety data available for Chatbot Communication Training, but general communication skills training has been studied for adverse events, suggesting that safety monitoring is important. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

How is Chatbot Communication Training different from other treatments for communication issues?

Chatbot Communication Training is unique because it uses a chatbot to help improve communication skills, which is different from traditional methods that might involve in-person training or the use of tele-operated robots. This approach can be particularly useful in maintaining social distancing while still providing effective communication training. ^{11 12 13 14 15}

Research Team

Jenny KR Francis, MD

Principal Investigator

UTSouthwestern

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for pediatricians (residents, fellows, attendings) from the Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Clinic at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. It also includes adolescents aged 14-21 and one caregiver attending with them.

Inclusion Criteria

Pediatricians (residents, fellows, attendings) recruited from the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Medicine Clinic at Children's Medical Center of Dallas

I am 18-21 years old and a patient at the AYA Clinic in Dallas.

Caregiver (1) of recruited patients who attend the encounter with the patients recruited from the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Medicine Clinic at Children's Medical Center of Dallas

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot speak or read in Spanish or English.

Adolescent/young adult is not an active patient

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Training

Medical residents undergo avatar communication training to improve SDM and PCCC skills

2 hours

1 session (virtual)

Evaluation

Participants' SDM and PCCC skills are evaluated through pre- and post-training assessments

2 hours

1 session (virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in confidence and skills post-training

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Chatbot Communication Training

Trial Overview The study is testing a chatbot communication training tool designed to help pediatricians improve their discussions about contraception with adolescent patients and their mothers through simulated interactions.

Participant Groups

Group I: Avatar training Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

One hundred physician learners will train with the avatar communication training tool as a behavioral intervention. Before the training (T0), the learners will complete a pre-survey to assess their baseline confidence. At the start of training, after a brief introduction and orientation to the tool, the learners will complete a 10-min uninterrupted scenario with a teen-parent avatar dyad about a contraception scenario. After the initial scenario (T1), the learner will pause and complete an assessment to evaluate use of SDM (Shared decision making) skills and PCCC (person-centered contraceptive counseling). Then, the learner will train for an hour with the tool. At the end (T2), the learner will complete another uninterrupted scenario and evaluate their confidence, SDM, and PCCC skills.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,102

Recruited

1,077,000+

Findings from Research

A proof-of-concept study using recurrent neural networks (RNNs) showed promise for automating the classification of adverse event (AE) terminology from FDA's FAERS and structured product labels (SPLs), which could improve regulatory efficiency.

The model performed well on SPL data, matching or exceeding conventional methods, but had mixed results on FAERS data, suggesting that more extensive data sets are needed for better generalization and validation of AE detection.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Utilizing Deep Learning for Detecting Adverse Drug Events in Structured and Unstructured Regulatory Drug Data Sets. Knisely, BM., Hatim, Q., Vaughn-Cooke, M.[2022]

AdEPro is an interactive app designed to simplify the exploration of adverse event data from clinical trials, allowing users to visualize data on individual subjects and treatment groups without needing extensive programming skills.

The app serves as a 'hypothesis generator' for users to quickly investigate questions about adverse events, such as their onset and severity, while ensuring that patient data is processed locally for privacy and security.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AdEPro: Animation of Adverse Event Profiles-Presentation of an Easy-to-Use App for Visually Exploring Individual Study Data. Mentenich, N., Tasto, C., Becker, B.[2021]

The web-based adverse event tracking system (eAETS) has effectively supported 175 clinical protocols over four years, capturing 2,440 adverse event reports, including minor symptoms that could indicate serious issues.

Out of the reported AEs, 1,053 did not align with the initial risk profiles, leading to corrective recommendations in 13% of the protocols, highlighting the system's role in enhancing subject safety by identifying unanticipated patterns.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of minor adverse event tracking on subject safety: a web-based system. Shenvi, NV., Gebhart, SS.[2009]

The study identified three types of adverse events in communication skills training (CST) for physicians, including emotional trauma from personal experiences, lack of empathetic feedback, and referrals for remedial training as a risk management strategy.

To enhance the safety and effectiveness of CST, it is crucial for facilitators to recognize emotional cues and risk factors early, and to master specific feedback techniques that can prevent potential adverse events.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Averting adverse events in communication skills training: a case series. Levin, T., Horner, J., Bylund, C., et al.[2010]

References

1. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of patient and physician computer mediated communication skill training on reported communication and patient satisfaction. [2022]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Patient coaching in secondary care: healthcare professionals' views on target group, intervention and coach profile. [2021]

3. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Understanding the influences and impact of patient-clinician communication in cancer care. [2023]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Communication Skills Training: A Means to Promote Time-Efficient Patient-Centered Communication in Clinical Practice. [2022]

5. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Pilot Study to Improve Goals of Care Conversations Among Hospitalists. [2020]

6. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Adverse drug reactions: when the risk becomes a reality for patients. [2021]

7. New Zealand pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Utilizing Deep Learning for Detecting Adverse Drug Events in Structured and Unstructured Regulatory Drug Data Sets. [2022]

8. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AdEPro: Animation of Adverse Event Profiles-Presentation of an Easy-to-Use App for Visually Exploring Individual Study Data. [2021]

9. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The impact of minor adverse event tracking on subject safety: a web-based system. [2009]

10. Ireland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Averting adverse events in communication skills training: a case series. [2010]

11. Switzerland pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Enhancing Communication Skills of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders While Maintaining Social Distancing Using Two Tele-Operated Robots. [2021]

12. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching caregivers to implement mand training using speech generating devices. [2021]

13. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Facilitating conversation through self-initiated augmentative communication treatment. [2018]

14. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The applied communication game: a comment on Muma's "communication game: dump and play". [2019]

15. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Computer-based workplace communication training in persons with traumatic brain injury: The work-related communication program. [2021]