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Conversational Agents to Improve Quality of Life in Palliative Care
NCT02750865 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
In this study the investigators will advance research on the development of easy to use technologies to empower patients. This is a scalable approach that has a significant potential to reduce suffering for palliative care patients and their caregivers. The investigators will adapt existing tested empathic conversational agents (ECA) for home-based cancer care management and inpatient bedside counseling to provide the following functions: 1. medication counseling; 2. physical activity promotion; 3. symptom management and continual screening for adverse events; and 4. alleviation of stress and anxiety 5. spiritual needs assessment; and 6. advanced care planning. Data from the system will be monitored by a health professional, who communicates with members of the patient's care team. In this project, this activity will include facilitating referral for palliative care services. The investigators will conduct pilot studies both at Boston Medical Center and at Northeastern University that will test system usability (Northeastern University and BMC) as well as interview burden (BMC only). The investigators will conduct a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) to evaluate the agent technology, comparing usual care (UC) versus usual care plus the agent (UC+ECA) for patients 21 or older, with a life expectancy of \< 1 year, from outpatient clinics at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Each subject will be enrolled along with a caregiver surrogate subject. In addition to baseline data collection, there will be monthly phone surveys for six months; intervention subjects will use the system for a six-month period of time. In addition, the investigators will conduct a randomized trial within the intervention group to compare subjects getting functions 1-4 (above) versus subjects getting the augmented intervention with all six functions. The intervention will include a nurse management interface to monitor clinical alerts generated by the system to stimulate interventions by the clinical
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA)
Study Locations (1)
Massachusetts
- Boston Medical Center — Boston
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 367 participants |
| Start Date | 2017-08-02 |
| Est. Completion | 2022-10-24 |
| Phase | NA |
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Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT02750865
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT02750865 describes a study currently listed as completed. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 367 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is Boston Medical Center, which has 192 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 1 condition, with Palliative Care appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 1 intervention — of which Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT02750865 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Massachusetts. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT02750865 about?
NCT02750865 is a clinical study titled "Conversational Agents to Improve Quality of Life in Palliative Care". In this study the investigators will advance research on the development of easy to use technologies to empower patients. This is a scalable approach that has a significant potential to reduce suffering for palliative care patients and their caregivers. The investigators will adapt existing tested e...
What is the current status of trial NCT02750865?
This trial is currently completed. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 367 participants. The study started on 2017-08-02. Estimated completion is 2022-10-24.
What conditions does trial NCT02750865 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Palliative Care. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT02750865?
The interventions under investigation include: Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) (BEHAVIORAL). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT02750865?
This trial is sponsored by Boston Medical Center, which has 192 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT02750865 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Massachusetts. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
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