Evaluating the Acceptability, Feasibility and Usability of Various Conversational Data Collection Software

Summary

This research study is being conducted to evaluate digital software tools that collect health information through conversations. The study will test how acceptable, feasible, and usable these conversational software programs are for patients with chronic pain.

Purpose of the Study:

The goal is to understand whether digital conversational tools can effectively gather biopsychosocial information (biological, psychological, and social factors related to health) from patients experiencing chronic pain. Biopsychosocial information includes details about your physical symptoms, emotional well-being, social circumstances, and how these factors interact to affect your health. These digital tools are designed to have conversation-like interactions with patients to collect this comprehensive health data in a more natural and engaging way.

What Participation Involves:

If you join this study, you will interact with digital conversational software that will ask you questions about your health, pain experience, and related factors. The software is designed to communicate with you in a conversational manner, similar to talking with a healthcare provider, to gather information about your condition. You will be asked about various aspects of your chronic pain experience, including how it affects your daily life, your emotional state, and your social interactions.

Who Can Participate:

This study is looking for participants who have chronic pain conditions. Medical providers who treat patients with chronic pain are encouraged to refer eligible patients to this study. Healthcare providers interested in referring patients or learning more about the study can contact the study sponsor, AugMend Health Inc.

Why This Research Matters:

Chronic pain affects millions of people and understanding the full scope of how it impacts patients requires collecting detailed information about physical, psychological, and social factors. Traditional methods of collecting this information can be time-consuming and may not capture the complete picture. Digital conversational tools offer a potential new approach to gathering comprehensive health information in a more efficient and patient-friendly manner. This research will evaluate whether patients find these tools acceptable to use, whether they work practically in real-world clinical settings, and whether they are user-friendly and accessible for people with chronic pain.

Study Location:

The study is being conducted at AugMend Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Study Sponsor:

This study is sponsored by AugMend Health Inc. Healthcare providers or potential participants who would like more information about the study or wish to make a referral can contact AugMend Health Inc.

Participation in this study is voluntary, and you can choose to stop participating at any time without affecting your regular medical care.

Conditions

• Chronic Pain
• Mental Health Disorders
• Behavioral Health Challenges
• Ecological Momentary Assessment Best Practices

Interventions

OTHER

Digital Biopsychosocial Conversational Data Collection Software

This intervention involves participants interacting with digital conversational software that uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to collect biopsychosocial health information. The software engages participants in dialogue-based interactions, asking questions about their chronic pain experience, physical functioning, emotional well-being, and social circumstances. The conversational interface adapts to participant responses, can ask follow-up questions for clarification, and creates an interactive experience that mimics clinical interviews. Some implementations may utilize virtual reality (VR) environments to create immersive data collection experiences at the MIT.nano Immersion Lab. Participants interact with the software either at home using provided devices or at the MIT.nano Immersion Lab. The AI-driven platform standardizes data collection while maintaining conversational flexibility, collecting comprehensive biopsychosocial data through natural language

OTHER

Standard Digital Questionnaire Data Collection

This intervention involves participants completing standard digital questionnaires or surveys to provide biopsychosocial health information. Participants respond to predetermined, fixed-format questions about their chronic pain experience, physical functioning, emotional well-being, and social circumstances. The data collection uses conventional electronic forms or surveys with static question sets that do not adapt based on participant responses. Questions are presented in a standard sequence without conversational elements or follow-up prompts. This represents traditional electronic data collection methods commonly used in clinical and research settings. Participants complete the questionnaires either at home using their own devices or provided equipment, or at designated study locations. This method provides a comparison baseline against which to evaluate newer digital data collection approaches, representing current standard practice for gathering patient-reported health informat

Sponsors & Collaborators

• AugMend Health Inc.

  lead INDUSTRY

Principal Investigators

• Mark Ruchman, MD · AugMend Health

• Alexandra Therond, MA · AugMend Health

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-03

Primary Completion

2026-02-11

Completion

2026-07-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations