What is the chatbot studying for caregivers of elderly pneumonia patients?

This study is evaluating whether a digital chatbot called "Pneumonia Care Helper" improves the knowledge, attitudes, and caregiving practices of primary caregivers for elderly pneumonia patients compared to traditional paper-based education. The research aims to find better ways to support caregivers with interactive and accessible education. It is sponsored by Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan.

Who may be eligible for this pneumonia caregiving clinical trial?

Adults aged 18 years or older who are primary caregivers of elderly patients diagnosed with pneumonia may be eligible. Caregivers must understand Mandarin Chinese, live with the patient, and be able to use a smartphone or tablet to access the chatbot. People with professional nursing or healthcare backgrounds are excluded. Please review eligibility criteria for more details.

Is there any cost to participate in this pneumonia caregiving clinical trial?

Study-related care, including the digital education or paper materials and all trial visits, is provided at no cost. Personal travel or other expenses related to participation may vary and are not guaranteed to be covered. Participants can expect to receive educational support without having to pay for the study services.

Actively Recruiting

Phase Not Applicable

Age: 18Years +

All Genders

ID07463443

Using a Chatbot to Improve Knowledge and Care Skills of Primary Caregivers for Elderly Pneumonia Patients

Led by Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan · Updated on 2026-07-15

150

Participants Needed

Research Sites

N/A

Total Duration

AI-Summary

What this Trial Is About

Pneumonia is a major cause of death and hospitalization among elderly people in Taiwan, and effective home care is important to support recovery and reduce hospital readmission. Primary caregivers often lack essential skills such as airway clearance and safe feeding techniques. Traditional education methods like one-time verbal instructions and paper brochures usually do not offer interactive or real-time support. This trial evaluates whether a digital health education tool called Pneumonia Care Helper, an interactive chatbot, improves caregivers knowledge, attitudes, and practices better than conventional paper-based education. Participants are primary caregivers of elderly pneumonia patients recruited from specialized hospital wards and assigned to either an experimental group or a control group based on their ward to avoid crossover. Caregivers in the experimental group will use the chatbot for five days, which includes four educational videos and interactive AI-driven text responses available 247. The control group receives a 20-minute verbal education session plus a printed brochure with the same content. Both groups caregiving outcomes are assessed before and after the 5-day intervention period. During the study, caregivers knowledge, attitude, and caregiving practices are measured using a validated scale at enrollment and after five days. Caregivers can watch videos repeatedly and ask questions anytime if in the chatbot group, or refer to printed materials in the control group. The research will compare these educational methods to see if digital chatbot support can enhance caregiving skills and improve pneumonia care quality for elderly patients. Participation lasts for the 5-day intervention period with assessments at the start and end.

CONDITIONS

Brief Title

Effectiveness of Chatbot for Improving Caregiving Outcomes in Primary Caregivers of Geriatric Pneumonia Patients: A Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice.

Who Can Participate

Age: 18Years +

All Genders

Eligibility Criteria

You may qualify if you...

Patient has a primary diagnosis of pneumonia during current hospitalization
Patient is aged 65 years or older
Primary caregiver is aged 18 years or older
Primary caregiver can read and understand Mandarin Chinese
Primary caregiver owns a mobile device and can use the chatbot application

You will not qualify if you...

Primary caregiver does not live with the patient
Primary caregiver has formal training as a professional nursing assistant or caregiver
Primary caregiver is currently or was formerly a healthcare professional
Primary caregiver does not have a mobile device or cannot use chatbot applications

Your Study Journey

Screening

Duration - 2 to 4 weeks

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.

Intervention

Duration - 5 days

Participants receive either interactive chatbot-based education with videos or traditional verbal instructions and printed brochures for pneumonia caregiving.

Initial orientation plus access to digital content or a one-time 20-minute verbal session