Purpose

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the DAPHNE chatbot can improve caregiver engagement, usability, and integration of social care support tools into clinical workflows in caregivers of pediatric patients receiving care at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care Center (NCH PCC). This is a pilot randomized clinical trial. The main questions it aims to answer are: - Is the DAPHNE chatbot usable, acceptable, and minimally burdensome for caregivers over a 6-month period? - Can the DAPHNE chatbot be effectively integrated into primary care provider workflows? Researchers will compare the DAPHNE chatbot intervention arm to the standard of care control arm to see if the intervention improves caregiver-reported outcomes and provider workflow integration. Participants that are patients will be randomly assigned to either the DAPHNE chatbot group or the standard of care group. Complete surveys assessing usability, acceptability, and burden and participate in brief qualitative interviews to share feedback on their experience. Participants that are Primary Care providers will discuss integration of DAPHNE into clinical workflows and complete workflow integration assessments.

Conditions

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
All ages
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

(Caregivers): - Must be a caregiver of a child seen within the NCH primary care network who self-identifies with at least one unmet social need - Must be 18 years of age or older - Must be English-speaking - Must have a device that connects to the internet Inclusion Criteria (Primary Care Providers and Support Team Members): - Must be 18 years or older - Must be employed at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Exclusion Criteria

  • Due to the intervention only being translated into English, non-English Speakers will be excluded from this study.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Health Services Research
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Chatbot Access
The intervention consists of a conversational, AI-powered chatbot designed to identify and address health-related social needs (HRSN) among caregivers of pediatric patients. Delivered via a secure mobile- and web-based application, the chatbot facilitates natural language interactions to assess needs, generate personalized resource recommendations, and support real-time navigation to community-based services. Participants assigned to the intervention arm will have continuous access to the chatbot over a 6-month period, including automated messages, tailored prompts, and context-aware suggestions. The intervention is non-invasive and participant driven.
  • Behavioral: DAPHNE Chatbot Intervention
    The DAPHNE intervention consists of a conversational, AI-powered chatbot designed to identify and address health-related social needs (HRSNs) among caregivers of pediatric patients. Delivered via a secure mobile and web-based application, the chatbot facilitates natural language interactions to assess needs, generate personalized resource recommendations, and support real-time navigation to community-based services. Participants assigned to the intervention arm will have continuous access to the chatbot over a six-month period, including automated nudges, tailored prompts, and context-aware suggestions. The intervention is non-invasive and participant-driven.
Active Comparator
Standard of Care
Participants randomized to the control group will receive the standard of care health-related social needs (HRSN) screening and referral services as currently implemented in Nationwide Children's Hospital primary care clinics. These services include in-clinic social needs assessments conducted during routine visits and referrals to internal or external resources, such as social work or care coordination teams. Participants in this group will not receive access to the DAPHNE chatbot. Study-related surveys and outcome assessments will be equivalent across both groups.
  • Other: Standard HRSN Screening and Referral (Usual Care)
    Participants randomized to the control group will receive the standard-of-care HRSN screening and referral services as currently implemented in Nationwide Children's Hospital Primary Care Clinics. These services include in-clinic social needs assessments conducted during routine visits and referrals to internal or external resources, such as social work or care coordination teams. Participants in this group will not receive access to the DAPHNE chatbot.
Experimental
Health Care Providers
All health care providers will receive access to the chatbot.
  • Behavioral: DAPHNE Chatbot Intervention
    The DAPHNE intervention consists of a conversational, AI-powered chatbot designed to identify and address health-related social needs (HRSNs) among caregivers of pediatric patients. Delivered via a secure mobile and web-based application, the chatbot facilitates natural language interactions to assess needs, generate personalized resource recommendations, and support real-time navigation to community-based services. Participants assigned to the intervention arm will have continuous access to the chatbot over a six-month period, including automated nudges, tailored prompts, and context-aware suggestions. The intervention is non-invasive and participant-driven.

Recruiting Locations

Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, Ohio 43207
Contact:
Emre Sezgin, PhD
(614) 722-3179
Emre.Sezgin@nationwidechildrens.org

More Details

NCT ID
NCT07168382
Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Emre Sezgin

Study Contact

Emre Sezgin, PhD
(614) 722-3179
Emre.Sezgin@nationwidechildrens.org

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.