AI Chatbot for Osteoarthritis

(CHAT-OA Trial)

Overseen By David Dallas-Orr, MD, MBA, MTM

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Davis

Disqualifiers: Inability to read and write

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 5

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests an AI chatbot to determine if it aids people with hip or knee osteoarthritis in making better health decisions. The researchers aim to discover whether using the chatbot reduces stress and confusion when choosing treatments and how this impacts overall patient outcomes and understanding of health information. Participants will use the AI chatbot before meeting with their orthopedic doctor. This study may suit adults who can read and write in English and are managing hip or knee osteoarthritis. As an unphased trial, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance decision-making for osteoarthritis patients.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this AI chatbot is safe for osteoarthritis patients?

Research has shown that AI chatbots are generally safe for use in healthcare. In past studies, these chatbots provided accurate and personalized advice for individuals with knee osteoarthritis, aiding in effective condition management without causing harm.

While specific data on negative effects from AI chatbots in these studies is lacking, the growing use of AI in healthcare suggests that these tools are usually well-received. They primarily offer information and support, reducing the risk of side effects.

As this trial uses an AI chatbot solely for decision-making assistance, participants can feel confident about the safety of this approach. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Unlike the standard treatments for osteoarthritis, which typically include medications like NSAIDs and physical therapy, the AI Chatbot offers a novel approach by providing personalized guidance and support before clinic visits. This tool is unique because it leverages artificial intelligence to engage with patients, potentially improving their understanding of the condition and enhancing their preparedness for medical consultations. Researchers are excited about the AI Chatbot because it could lead to more informed patients, better communication with healthcare providers, and ultimately, improved management of osteoarthritis symptoms.

What evidence suggests that this AI chatbot is effective for osteoarthritis?

Research has shown that AI chatbots can be very helpful for people with osteoarthritis. In this trial, one group of participants will interact with an artificial intelligence chatbot before their clinic visit. Studies have found that patients felt less anxious after using a chatbot before medical appointments, suggesting that chatbots can boost confidence in healthcare decisions. Another study found that patients using a chatbot needed fewer medication refills and made fewer calls to their doctors, indicating better management of their treatment. While AI chatbots are not a cure, they help patients understand their options and make informed choices. ^{1 2 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Zachary C Lum, DO

Principal Investigator

University of California, Davis

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with hip or knee osteoarthritis who are facing decisions about their healthcare. They should be comfortable interacting with an AI chatbot before meeting with an orthopedic surgeon.

Inclusion Criteria

Ability to read and write in English

I am 18 years old or older.

All races and ethnicities

Exclusion Criteria

Inability to read and write in English

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

AI Chatbot Interaction

Participants interact with an AI chatbot prior to their clinic visit to assess its effect on decision making factors

1 week

1 virtual interaction

Clinic Visit

Participants have a clinic visit with an orthopaedic surgeon after interacting with the AI chatbot

1 day

1 in-person visit

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in decisional conflict, anxiety, and health literacy

6 months

3 follow-up assessments

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Artificial Intelligence Chatbot

Trial Overview

The study tests if a conversational AI chatbot can help reduce decisional conflict and anxiety in patients, improve patient outcomes, and enhance health literacy regarding treatment options for osteoarthritis.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

This arm will interact with an artificial intelligence chatbot prior to their clinic visit.

Group II: Standard of care Active Control 1 Intervention

This arm will undergo standard clinical care without the intervention.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Davis

Lead Sponsor

Trials

958

Recruited

4,816,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The study developed ADEpedia-on-OHDSI, an informatics platform that integrates FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) data into a standardized format, allowing for improved pharmacovigilance research with a total of 4,619,362 adverse event cases processed.

Mapping accuracy for drug names was high at 96%, and the platform successfully detected triptan-related vascular event signals, demonstrating that combining spontaneous reporting and electronic health record data can enhance signal detection in drug safety monitoring.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

ADEpedia-on-OHDSI: A next generation pharmacovigilance signal detection platform using the OHDSI common data model. Yu, Y., Ruddy, KJ., Hong, N., et al.[2020]

The study analyzed 16,453 lines of dialog from 424 patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) to explore the feasibility of using natural language processing (NLP) for categorizing patient communications, demonstrating that NLP can effectively categorize patient data into relevant categories such as symptoms, medications, and appointments.

The categorization algorithm showed a high agreement with independent physician evaluations, with 95% of cases having minor or no differences, indicating that NLP can reliably assist in developing chatbots for chronic disease management, potentially improving patient monitoring and education.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An Exploration Into the Use of a Chatbot for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Retrospective Cohort Study. Zand, A., Sharma, A., Stokes, Z., et al.[2020]

A new electronic health record (EHR)-based system allowed 26 clinicians to submit 217 adverse drug event (ADE) reports to the FDA in real-time, demonstrating an efficient method for reporting that took an average of just 53 seconds per report.

The system provided detailed clinical information about the ADEs, including comorbid conditions and concurrent medications, which could enhance the quality of data submitted to the FDA and potentially improve drug safety monitoring.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Secondary use of electronic health record data: spontaneous triggered adverse drug event reporting. Linder, JA., Haas, JS., Iyer, A., et al.[2019]

Citations

1.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12510192/

Artificial intelligence in osteoarthritis research: summary of ...

While AI models are highly effective at predicting outcomes, they are typically not designed to identify causal or mechanistic relationships.

2.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07202286

Comparing Physician and Artificial Intelligence Chatbot ...

Comparing Physician and Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Responses to Frequently Asked Questions From Osteoarthritis Patients (PARTICIPATE).

3.

withpower.com

withpower.com/trial/phase-osteoarthritis-2025-7cd23

AI Chatbot for Osteoarthritis (CHAT-OA Trial)

Trial Overview The study tests if a conversational AI chatbot can help reduce decisional conflict and anxiety in patients, improve patient outcomes, and enhance ...

4.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352344125001396

Clinical Outcomes and Overall Satisfaction of Patents ...

Patients enrolled in an SMS-based perioperative chatbot who underwent PAO had significantly fewer narcotic refills, fewer telephone calls to clinic, and ...

5.

painmanagementnursing.org

painmanagementnursing.org/article/S1524-9042(25)00240-1/abstract

Artificial Intelligence for Knee Osteoarthritis Care and ...

AI holds promise in revolutionizing KOA disease management by enabling nurses to deliver more effective, tailored care and ultimately improving ...

6.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06778486

Conversations in Health Literacy Using AI Technology for ...

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the use of a generative artificial intelligence large language model chatbot in improving decision making ...

7.

jmir.org

jmir.org/2025/1/e67830

Comparing Artificial Intelligence–Generated and Clinician ...

GPT-4 could generate personalized self-management guidance for knee osteoarthritis with greater efficiency, accuracy, personalization, comprehensiveness, and ...