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AsthmaAsthmaTrainNCT05248126

Standard Patient Training Versus Vik Chatbot Guided Training: a Randomized Controlled Trial for Asthma Patients

A study testing Standard patient education and Chatbot patient education in people with Asthma, run by University Hospital, Montpellier at 1 site in France.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The onset of smartphone usage has provided new opportunities for managing patients outside the walls of healthcare facilities. The development of asthma-specific smartphone applications represents an excellent area for partnership between developers and medical teams for delivering therapeutic education at the… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Asthma
What is being tested?
Standard patient education and Chatbot patient education
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
73 participants
Where
1 siteFrance
Study dates
24 May 2022to 27 Oct 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Minimum age: 18
  • Physician-confirmed diagnosis of asthma

Who cannot join

  • Protected populations according to the French Public Health Code Articles L1121-6,8
  • The subject has already participated in the present study
  • Subject unable to comply with trial procedures/visits
  • Potential for interference from another study
  • Non-beneficiary of the French single-payer national medical insurance system
  • Lack of informed consent
  • Patients already using the Vik Asthma application in their daily lives or having already followed a therapeutic education program

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

France1 site
  • Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier

    Montpellier, 34295

Other trials in France

About this study

The onset of smartphone usage has provided new opportunities for managing patients outside the walls of healthcare facilities. The development of asthma-specific smartphone applications represents an excellent area for partnership between developers and medical teams for delivering therapeutic education at the required time and in a personalised way. Within this context, the overall goal of the AsthmaTrain study is to perform a first, small pilot study comparing a new French-language chat-bot guided asthma patient education programme (the 'Vik' application) with the classic, authority-approved patient education program at the University Hospitals of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.

The primary objective is to compare a population of adult patients with asthma and participating in a standard patient education programme with a similar population participating in Vik-guided education programme in terms of change in overall scores on the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ).

Read the detailed description

Secondarily, the following will also be compared between the two study arms:

  • the subdomains of the AQLQ score,
  • lung function, overall asthma control and exacerbation rates,
  • general health status via the Euroqol 5-domain 5-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L),
  • adherence to the program and burden of the program for the medical team,
  • major categories of direct health resource consumption.

Finally, because education intervention success may depend on patient-specific characteristics, an ancillary study will compare the following baseline traits between the 50% best intervention responders in either arm:

  • the big five personality traits,
  • the hospital anxiety and depression,
  • coping mechanisms.
Conditions
Asthma
Being tested
Standard patient education, Chatbot patient education
Keywords
chatbot, patient education
Medical subject headings
Asthma

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Standard patient educationOther

    The comparator intervention is the usual therapeutic training for patients (ETP) cursus currently used in the General Pulmonology unit at the Arnaud De Villeneuve Hospital, Montpellier, France and approved by the French Regional Health Authority for the Occitanie Region [Agence Régional de Santé Occitanie].

  • Chatbot patient educationOther

    The experimental intervention consists in providing the patient with access to a specific version of the "Vik-Asthme" chat bot for the duration of the study. Should the patient be unable to use or refuse to use the chatbot, the reasons for refusal will be documented and the patient will proceed with the comparator intervention.

Study groups in NCT05248126
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Comparator armActive comparatorAll patients randomized to this arm will participate in a standard patient education program.
Receives: Other: Standard patient education
Experimental armExperimentalAll patients randomised to this arm have the opportunity to participate in a patient education programme via a chatbot.
Receives: Other: Chatbot patient education

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in the total AQLQ score

    The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) is a 32-item, 4-domain instrument that can either be self- or interviewer-administered. The recall-time is two weeks. The four domains covered are: (i) symptoms (11 items), (ii) activity limitation (12 items, 5 of which are individualized), (iii) emotional function (5 items), and (iv) environmental exposure (4 items). Each item is ranked by the patient using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (severely impaired) to 7 (not impaired at all). Scores range from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate better quality of life and a minimally important difference (for overall scores and for each sub-domain) has been established at 0.5.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

Secondary outcomes (27)
  1. Change in the 'symptoms' domain of the AQLQ from baseline to six months

    The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) is a 32-item, 4-domain instrument that can either be self- or interviewer-administered. The recall-time is two weeks. The four domains covered are: (i) symptoms (11 items), (ii) activity limitation (12 items, 5 of which are individualized), (iii) emotional function (5 items), and (iv) environmental exposure (4 items). Each item is ranked by the patient using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (severely impaired) to 7 (not impaired at all). Scores range from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate better quality of life and a minimally important difference (for overall scores and for each sub-domain) has been established at 0.5.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  2. Change in the 'activity limitation' domain of the AQLQ from baseline to six months

    The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) is a 32-item, 4-domain instrument that can either be self- or interviewer-administered. The recall-time is two weeks. The four domains covered are: (i) symptoms (11 items), (ii) activity limitation (12 items, 5 of which are individualized), (iii) emotional function (5 items), and (iv) environmental exposure (4 items). Each item is ranked by the patient using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (severely impaired) to 7 (not impaired at all). Scores range from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate better quality of life and a minimally important difference (for overall scores and for each sub-domain) has been established at 0.5.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  3. Change in the 'emotional function' domain of the AQLQ from baseline to six months

    The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) is a 32-item, 4-domain instrument that can either be self- or interviewer-administered. The recall-time is two weeks. The four domains covered are: (i) symptoms (11 items), (ii) activity limitation (12 items, 5 of which are individualized), (iii) emotional function (5 items), and (iv) environmental exposure (4 items). Each item is ranked by the patient using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (severely impaired) to 7 (not impaired at all). Scores range from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate better quality of life and a minimally important difference (for overall scores and for each sub-domain) has been established at 0.5.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  4. Change in the 'environmental exposure' domain of the AQLQ from baseline to six months

    The Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) is a 32-item, 4-domain instrument that can either be self- or interviewer-administered. The recall-time is two weeks. The four domains covered are: (i) symptoms (11 items), (ii) activity limitation (12 items, 5 of which are individualized), (iii) emotional function (5 items), and (iv) environmental exposure (4 items). Each item is ranked by the patient using a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (severely impaired) to 7 (not impaired at all). Scores range from 1 to 7, higher scores indicate better quality of life and a minimally important difference (for overall scores and for each sub-domain) has been established at 0.5.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  5. Change in the ACQ-5 score

    The ACQ-5 is a shortened version of the ACQ that assesses asthma symptoms (night-time waking, symptoms on waking, activity limitation, shortness of breath, wheezing) omitting the forced expiratory volume in 1 second measurement and short acting beta antagonist use from the original ACQ score. Patients are asked to recall how their asthma has been during the previous week by responding to 5 symptom questions. Questions are weighted equally and scored from 0 (totally controlled) to 6 (severely uncontrolled). The mean ACQ-5 score is the mean of the responses. Mean scores of ≤0.75 indicate well-controlled asthma, scores between 0.75 and <1.5 indicate partly controlled asthma, and a score ≥1.5 indicates not well controlled asthma . Individual changes of at least 0.5 are considered to be clinically meaningful.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  6. Change in %predicted values of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  7. Change in %predicted values of forced vital capacity (FVC)

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  8. Change in FEV1/FVC ratios (litres/litres)

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  9. Change in the EQ-5D-5L score

    In its original version, this self-administered questionnaire consists of two pages: the first contains the EQ-5D descriptive system and the second a visual analogue scale. The descriptive system has five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression), each described by five levels of intensity ("no problems", "slight problems", "moderate problems", "severe problems" and "extreme problems or complete inability"). The respondent must indicate one intensity level for each dimension.

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  10. Percentage of patients participating in the 6 month visit

    Measured: 6 months

  11. For the experimental arm only, weeks of chatbot usage

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  12. Cumulative number of emails to/from the patient

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  13. Cumulative number of telephone calls to/from the patient

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  14. The cumulative dose for short-acting beta antagonists

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  15. The cumulative dose for long acting beta antagonists

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  16. The cumulative dose for short acting muscarinic antagonists

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  17. The cumulative dose for long acting muscarinic antagonists

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  18. The cumulative dose for oral corticosteroids

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  19. The cumulative dose for inhaled corticosteroids

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  20. The cumulative dose for nasal corticosteroids

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  21. Accumulating numbers of generalist consults

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  22. Accumulating numbers of specialist consults

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  23. Accumulating numbers of nursing consults

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  24. Accumulating numbers of unexpected/emergency consults

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  25. Accumulating numbers of days of hospitalization (in relation to asthma)

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  26. Accumulating numbers of days of intensive care (in relation to asthma)

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

  27. Accumulating numbers of days of exacerbation

    Measured: baseline to 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Feb 2022
  2. Study start24 May 2022
  3. Primary completion27 Oct 2023
  4. Study completion27 Oct 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This prospective, randomized (1:1), controlled, pilot trial with a single-Zelen consent procedure will compare changes in quality of life, asthma control, lung function and health resource consumption between one group of patients with asthma participating in a classic treatment education program (the "standard education" arm) with a similar, second group of patients participating in a novel, chatbot-guided treatment education program (the "Vik" arm).
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
73 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05248126
Sponsor's protocol ID
RECHMPL21_0423 - UF7779
Other IDs
2021-A02205-36
Acronym
AsthmaTrain
Status last verified
Jan 2024
First submitted
9 Feb 2022
Last updated
12 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: The general goal is to make the study data available to interested researchers as well as to provide proof of transparency for the study. Data will be made available to persons who address a reasonable request to the study director. Individual participant data (and an accompanying data dictionary) will be de-identified and potentially further cleaned or aggregated as the investigators deem necessary to protect participant anonymity. The study protocol, participant information materials, and paper case report form will also be made available to the public.

Publications

  • Suehs CM, Vachier I, Galeazzi D, Vaast F, Cardon F, Molinari N, Bourdin A. Standard patient training versus Vik-Asthme chatbot-guided training: 'AsthmaTrain' - a protocol for a randomised controlled trial for patients with asthma. BMJ Open. 2023 Feb 21;13(2):e067039. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067039.

    PubMed 36810168
  • Bourdin A, Casanova S, Ahmed E, Brouard B, Boher A, Vachier I, Suehs C, Pujot F, Nogue E, Galeazzi D, Cardon F, Volpato M, Halimi L, Skinner S, Molinari N. Larger quality-of-life gains with an asthma support app: a randomised controlled trial. ERJ Open Res. 2025 Nov 10;11(6):00361-2025. doi: 10.1183/23120541.00361-2025. eCollection 2025 Nov.

    PubMed 41220823

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Standard patient education and Chatbot patient education in people with Asthma, run by University Hospital, Montpellier at 1 site in France.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in the total AQLQ score (time frame: baseline to 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05248126, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Jun 2026.

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AsthmaTrain Clinical Trial NCT05248126 | AzTrials