Artificial Intelligence Powered Mental Health Support Tool For Physicians In Training

This is a prospective pilot study with internal medicine residents and gastroenterology fellows to evaluate the role of AI mental health support tool as a wellness resource.

Participants will be invited via e-mail to participate in the study. The invitation e-mail will describe the study and ask that those who meet exclusion criteria do not participate in this pilot study. The e-mail will also include a file with information of the study for participants to review including how study members are blinded and the de-coding process required for participants to be contacted by a study member should they score >15 on PHQ-9 and or >10 on GAD-7. Those who choose to participate will be asked to email a study member who will send the participants a REDCap link to the consent, survey and a code to be used in the survey.

Participants will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires to evaluate their mental health and factors that contribute to mental health as well as four AI powered mental health support sessions over a four-week period. This will conclude the active phase of their participations. Participants will then be sent a questionnaire at 3 months from study initiation to complete a questionnaire evaluating their mental health and if they would be interested in additional AI powered mental health support sessions.

The questionnaires will be administered before the AI sessions and at the end of the study period to evaluate for changes in mental health scores. The questionnaires will include the validated PHQ-9 for a standardized depression score and the GAD-7 for a standardized anxiety score to evaluate symptoms related to depression and anxiety. In addition, a set of questions will focus on demographics, work and home environment to evaluate factors that may contribute to mental health prior to the AI sessions and a set of questions related to the AI sessions at the end of the study period. The questionnaire will be administered via REDCap.

The AI powered sessions will be administered via a web browser such as a computer, laptop, tablets or cellphone. Participants can complete the session in the privacy of their home or in a private location at work such as a call-room. Participants will be asked to complete one 20-minute session per week during the 4-week study period for a total of four sessions.

The AI program used will be the XAIA software program. Participants will be sent an email with the link to use the XAIA software. This includes a tutorial on how to use XAIA.

The duration of the study session is 4 weeks and total duration of the study is three months.

The study will be conducted at one site only, Cedars-Sinai or participants may conduct the sessions at the privacy of their own home.

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals 18 years old or older are included.
• Training physicians in Internal Medicine residency and Gastroenterology fellowship at Cedars Sinai.
• Study is limited to Cedars-Sinai employees who are known to speak English.

Exclusion criteria

• Active treatment of severe and uncontrolled anxiety or depression with a health care professional
• Unwilling and or unable to participate
• Non-English speakers.