NCT02344433

Using Virtual Counselors to Overcome Genetic Literacy Barriers

Using Virtual Counselors to Overcome Genetic Literacy Barriers: Project VICKY

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 279 (actual)
• Sponsor: Boston University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

A Relational Agent (RA) "virtual counselor" (VICKY: VIrtual Counselor for Knowing Your Family History) has been developed to collect family health history information for common health conditions including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and various cancers. In this study, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to compare the efficacy of using VICKY to the existing My Family Health Portrait (MFHP) tool for collecting family health history information among an underserved primary care patient population. The primary aims of the study are to 1) evaluate the efficacy of VICKY versus MFHP for collecting accurate family health histories and 2) determine whether accuracy varies as a function of health literacy. This project will obtain validation data on the efficacy of both VICKY and MFHP for collecting accurate family history data among an underserved patient population, in two languages (English and Spanish). The study will determine whether a virtual counselor can overcome many of the existing barriers to using traditional web-based family history tools.

Conditions

• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	VICKY	Relational agent/virtual counselor
BEHAVIORAL	MFHP	US Surgeon General's family history tool

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-11-01
• Primary completion: 2019-10-01
• Completion: 2019-10-01
• First posted: 2015-01-26
• Last updated: 2019-10-24