Recruiting

MICA & SMS

Sponsor:

Stanford University

Code:

NCT07661563

Conditions

Alcohol Misuse

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

MICA

TRAC

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a novel digital strategy combining a generative AI counseling agent (MICA) and weekly SMS boosters works to reduce risky drinking among Emergency Department patients.

Conditions

Alcohol Misuse

Study ID

NCT07661563

Start date

Oct 8, 2026

Status verified date

Oct, 2026

Completion date

Feb, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. For men: AUDIT-C score 4+
2. For women: AUDIT-C score 3+
3. Owns a mobile phone
4. Reads English language

Exclusion Criteria:

1. For women: current or planned pregnancy in next 12 months
2. Prisoner

Study Design

Enrollment

750 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: MICA

MICA is a generative AI-powered counseling agent that delivers brief Motivational Interviewing (MI)-consistent sessions, following the validated MI process (engagement, focusing, evoking, planning, and closing). It uses personalized prompts to promote autonomy and evoke change talk, ending with a session summary and satisfaction check. Participants will complete a MICA session (\~5-10 min) in the ED and at 3 months.

experimental: MICA+SMS

This condition includes the MICA ED session, a 3-month booster, and 12 weeks of weekly SMS messages supporting self-monitoring, goal-setting, and adaptive strategies. Messages are tailored based on reported alcohol use and goal commitment, offering encouragement, feedback, and harm-reduction messaging.

no intervention: Standard care

Standard ED care and as-needed referral to alcohol resources

Interventions

MICA

MICA is an AI chatbot that uses a secure API with ChatGPT and prompted to follow MI principles to support individuals in exploring and resolving ambivalence about their alcohol use. MICA follows a predefined conversational framework and steps: introduction, engagement, focusing, evoking, planning, and closing-adapted from Miller \& Rollnick's Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (3rd ed.).

TRAC

Weekly SMS check-ins designed to support goal-setting, self-monitoring, and adaptive self-regulation strategies. Beginning the Sunday after enrollment, participants will engage with an automated SMS program once weekly for 12 weeks. Prompts include reporting on the past week's alcohol use and whether they are willing to commit to a drinking limit goal for the upcoming week. Responses trigger tailored feedback.

Primary outcome measure

  • Mean weekly alcohol consumption [ Time Frame: Baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Locations

Stanford University Medical Center

Recruiting

Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304

Contacts

Brian Suffoletto, MD

412-901-6892suffbp@stanford.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Stanford University

Last update posted

Oct 15, 2026

Last verified

Oct, 2026

Keywords

  • alcohol
  • emergency department
  • adults
  • AI
  • motivational interviewing
  • text messaging

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-16. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Stanford University on 2026-10-15. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.