Pre-Visit AI Symptom-Checking and Shared Decision-Making in Spine Physical Therapy
Recruiting now
Conditions studied: Low Back Pain, Neck Pain, Radiculopathy
In brief
Artificial intelligence (AI) symptom-checking tools, including large language models such as ChatGPT, are increasingly used by patients before they seek care. These tools may shape patients' beliefs about their diagnosis, how serious they think their condition is, and when they decide to seek treatment. It is not yet known how this pre-visit AI use affects the initial physical therapy encounter for spine-related problems. This prospective observational cohort study examines whether prior use of AI symptom-checking tools influences the first physical therapy evaluation in adults presenting with spine-related musculoskeletal complaints (neck, thoracic, or low back pain, with or without radicular symptoms). Consecutive patients attending an outpatient physical therapy clinic for a new evaluation are grouped as AI users or non-AI users based on whether they used such a tool for their current complaint in the previous 30 days. The primary outcome is shared decision-making, measured with the SDM-Q-9 immediately after the initial evaluation. Secondary outcomes include stage of presentation, agreement between the patient's expected diagnosis and the clinician's classification, baseline pain and disability, functional performance, and clinical outcomes at 2 and 6 weeks. The investigators hypothesize that prior AI use is associated with differences in shared decision-making and in how patients present for care.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07733752
- Run by
- Assiut University
- People needed
- 200
- Starts
- 2026-06-10
- Expected to finish
- 2027-02-10
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-07-29
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Age: 18 years or older
- Presenting for a new evaluation at an outpatient physical therapy clinic for a spine-related musculoskeletal complaint, including Neck, Thoracic, and Low back pain With or without radicular symptoms
- Able to provide informed consent.
- Able to read, understand, and complete study questionnaires
You may not qualify if…
- Recent spinal surgery within the past 3 months, due to differing clinical pathways and management strategies.
- Presence of serious spinal pathology under active medical management, such as:
- Malignancy (e.g., metastatic disease) Spinal infection Acute fracture
- Cognitive impairment or other conditions that limit the ability to provide informed consent or reliably complete study measures.
- Patients currently enrolled in another study that may influence clinical decision-making or outcomes related to spine care.
Where it is running
- Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Egypt — Asyut, Egypt (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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