MassAITC Webinar | TRIALCHAT: Developing Agentic AI Chatbot Tools with Older Adults and Caregivers to Encourage Participation in ADRD Clinical Trials

Content

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Speaker

Tim Ken Mackey (S-3 Research)

Abstract

Hype around the potential of generative AI tools to transform healthcare is at an all time high, but their design and utility is often not user or patient-centered. This is particularly true for generalized large language models that have limited UI/UX features, may hallucinate or give incorrect medical/healthcare advice, or may lack conversational clarity and specificity. In fact, these tools are rarely designed in partnership with the end-user or patients they intend to serve. As part of a2 Collective Pilot award in partnership with MassAITC, S-3 Research and California State Fullerton have been developing “TRIALCHAT," a multiagentic AI tool with the goal of navigating older adults and their caregivers to resources related to Alzheimer’s Disease and clinical research participation opportunities. Lessons learned from a technology design and development process that involved rapid prototyping, co-design sessions with older adults and caregivers, technology iteration, and initial user feasibility testing will be discussed, along with overall observations about what patients expect when interacting with agentic AI tools for healthcare information. The talk will also discuss the transition from pilot development of the tool to a phase I SBIR that will focus on commercial development.

Speaker Bio

Tim Ken Mackey is the CEO and co-founder of S-3 Research, a public health data science company originally created from a Challenge.gov award. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Global Health Program at UC San Diego and the Editor-in-Chief of JMIR Infodemiology. He has co-authored over 290 manuscripts on topics including global health, technology, data science, substance use disorder, and health policy. 

Dr. Mackey is an entrepreneur and scientist working on technology innovation to address healthcare challenges including developing tools and systems to encourage equitable participation and engagement in clinical research.