Evaluating Conversational Artificial Intelligence for Depression Management

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.

NCT Number	NCT07105397
Lead Sponsor	George Mason University Collaborators: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Conditions	Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Enrollment	130 participants
Start Date	2026-09-15
Primary Completion	2028-04-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-06-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-28