CancerMINDBOT-CANCT07811739
Brief Mindfulness Chatbot Intervention for Cancer Patients
A study testing Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual Reality in people with Cancer and Stress, Psychological, run by Taipei Medical University.
Trial summary
This study tests a new digital tool for hospitalized cancer patients. The tool is a chatbot on LINE, a popular messaging app. The chatbot is called Mindbot. Mindbot leads a 10-minute mindfulness practice each day. The practice uses breathing exercises and virtual reality (VR). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cancer, Stress, Psychological
- What is being tested?
- Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual Reality
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 66 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Nov 2026to 31 Jul 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- Age greater than 18 years
- Diagnosed with cancer
- Able to use a smartphone and operate LINE (either the participant themselves or their caregiver)
- Able to communicate and read in Mandarin Chinese
Who cannot join
- Physician-diagnosed severe psychiatric disorder or cognitive impairment that may affect comprehension of study content or ability to complete questionnaires
- Currently participating in another psychotherapy or mindfulness training program
About this study
Official title: Effects of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Chatbot Intervention (Mindbot) on Mindfulness Level and Stress Among Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study tests a new digital tool for hospitalized cancer patients. The tool is a chatbot on LINE, a popular messaging app. The chatbot is called Mindbot. Mindbot leads a 10-minute mindfulness practice each day. The practice uses breathing exercises and virtual reality (VR).
Adult cancer patients in the hospital ward can join. Participants are randomly placed into one of two groups. One group uses Mindbot every day during their hospital stay. The other group receives usual hospital care through the hospital's existing health app.
Researchers measure mindfulness, stress, and heart rate variability (a measure of body stress) before and after each practice. They also collect saliva samples to check a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers track fatigue and cancer symptoms too. These measurements happen at three time points: hospital admission, hospital discharge, and the first follow-up clinic visit.
Read the detailed description
Psychological distress is common among hospitalized cancer patients and, if unmanaged, may negatively affect quality of life and disease trajectory. Traditional mindfulness-based stress reduction programs require prolonged daily practice (e.g., 45 minutes over 8 weeks) and show low adherence in this population, largely due to cancer-related fatigue. Brief mindfulness sessions (10-20 minutes) delivered via widely-used instant messaging platforms may improve accessibility and adherence compared with standalone apps or websites that require additional learning effort.
This is a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial evaluating a LINE chatbot-delivered brief mindfulness intervention (Mindbot) combined with VR-guided audio-visual content, compared with usual care, among cancer patients admitted to a hospital ward at a medical center in northern Taiwan.
Randomization: Participants are allocated 1:1 using an online randomizer (Sealed Envelope Simple Randomiser) with random permuted blocks of mixed sizes 4 and 6. The allocation sequence is generated by an independent researcher not involved in recruitment, and allocation results are concealed in sequentially numbered, opaque sealed envelopes until after consent and eligibility confirmation. To reduce cross-contamination among roommates in shared hospital rooms, all participants in the same room are assigned to the same study arm.
Blinding: Because the intervention is delivered via a distinguishable QR code (chatbot vs. existing hospital app), participants and on-site research staff cannot be blinded to allocation. After data de-identification and re-coding, the statistician performing the primary analysis is blinded to actual group assignment until the primary analysis is complete.
Intervention: The experimental arm receives automated push notifications at 13:00 and 21:00 daily, prompting a 10-minute structured mindfulness session (breath awareness, body scan, and mindful acceptance of hospital ambient sounds), guided by the virtual character "Mindbot" in a VR environment. Each session includes a pre- and post-practice assessment of cancer symptom severity and a 7-minute resting heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. The control arm receives usual hospital care and access to the hospital's existing health management app, which provides general disease-related e-education without mindfulness content.
Outcome assessment: Primary outcomes (mindfulness level, perceived stress, HRV, salivary cortisol) and secondary outcomes (fatigue, cancer symptom severity) are assessed at baseline (T0, at enrollment), hospital discharge (T2), and the first outpatient follow-up visit (T3). Salivary cortisol is additionally sampled four times daily (on waking, 30 minutes post-waking, afternoon, and late evening) throughout the intervention period. Qualitative feedback shared by participants through the LINE chat interface is de-identified, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis to complement the quantitative findings.
- Conditions
- Cancer, Stress, Psychological
- Being tested
- Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual Reality
- Keywords
- Mindfulness, Chatbot, LINE (Messaging App), Virtual Reality, Heart Rate Variability, Salivary Cortisol, Brief Mindfulness Intervention, Digital Health, Cancer-Related Fatigue
- Medical subject headings
- Neoplasms, Stress, Psychological
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual RealityBehavioural
A LINE chatbot ("Mindbot") delivering a 10-minute structured brief mindfulness session (breath awareness, body scan, and mindful acceptance of ambient hospital sounds) combined with virtual reality (VR)-guided audio-visual content. Automated push notifications are sent daily at 13:00 and 21:00. Participants complete pre- and post-session assessments of symptom severity and 7-minute heart rate variability (HRV) measurements before and after each practice session.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Mindbot Brief Mindfulness Chatbot | Experimental | Participants receive a LINE chatbot ("Mindbot") delivering a 10-minute structured brief mindfulness session (breath awareness, body scan, and mindful acceptance of ambient sounds) combined with virtual reality (VR)-guided audio-visual content, with automated push reminders at 13:00 and 21:00 daily, for the duration of their hospital stay. Receives: Behavioral: Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual Reality |
| Other: Usual Care | No intervention | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Perceived Stress
Perceived stress assessed using the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.
Measured: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Change in Mindfulness Level
Mindfulness level assessed using the Chinese version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (CMAAS). Higher scores indicate greater mindfulness.
Measured: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Change in Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Heart rate variability measured using a validated HRV monitor during a 7-minute resting assessment, used as an objective physiological indicator of stress. Measured before and after each daily 10-minute mindfulness practice session (experimental arm), as well as at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up.
Measured: Before and after each daily practice session during hospitalization; and at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Change in Salivary Cortisol Concentration
Salivary cortisol concentration measured as an objective biomarker of physiological stress. Saliva samples are self-collected at four time points daily: upon waking, 30 minutes after waking, in the afternoon (approximately 15:00), and in the late evening (approximately 22:00-23:00).
Measured: Four times daily (upon waking, 30 minutes post-waking, afternoon, and late evening), from enrollment through hospital discharge, an average of 4 days (range 3-5 days)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Fatigue
Fatigue assessed using the Taiwanese version of the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-T). Higher scores indicate greater fatigue severity.
Measured: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Change in Cancer Symptom Severity
Cancer-related symptom severity assessed using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale-Revised (ESAS-r). Higher scores indicate greater symptom burden. Assessed before and after each daily practice session (experimental arm), as well as at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up.
Measured: Before and after each daily practice session during hospitalization; and at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Sep 2026
- Study start1 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion31 Jul 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Taipei Medical UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Participants are allocated 1:1 to two parallel groups using random permuted blocks of mixed sizes 4 and 6, generated via an online randomization system (Sealed Envelope Simple Randomiser).
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Taipei Medical University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Tsai-Wei Huang, Taipei Medical University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07811739
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- TMU-MINDBOT-CA-2026
- Acronym
- MINDBOT-CA
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 23 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Chatbot Intervention (Mindbot) on Mindfulness Level and Stress Among Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07811739
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MINDBOT-CA / TMU-MINDBOT-CA-2026
- Conditions
- Cancer, Stress, Psychological
- Keywords
- Mindfulness, Chatbot, LINE (Messaging App), Virtual Reality, Heart Rate Variability, Salivary Cortisol, Brief Mindfulness Intervention, Digital Health
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Taipei Medical UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital
- Study start
- 1 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jul 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study tests a new digital tool for hospitalized cancer patients. The tool is a chatbot on LINE, a popular messaging app. The chatbot is called Mindbot. Mindbot leads a 10-minute mindfulness practice each day. The practice uses breathing exercises and virtual reality (VR).
Adult cancer patients in the hospital ward can join. Participants are randomly placed into one of two groups. One group uses Mindbot every day during their hospital stay. The other group receives usual hospital care through the hospital's existing health app.
Researchers measure mindfulness, stress, and heart rate variability (a measure of body stress) before and after each practice. They also collect saliva samples to check a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers track fatigue and cancer symptoms too. These measurements happen at three time points: hospital admission, hospital discharge, and the first follow-up clinic visit.
Detailed description
Psychological distress is common among hospitalized cancer patients and, if unmanaged, may negatively affect quality of life and disease trajectory. Traditional mindfulness-based stress reduction programs require prolonged daily practice (e.g., 45 minutes over 8 weeks) and show low adherence in this population, largely due to cancer-related fatigue. Brief mindfulness sessions (10-20 minutes) delivered via widely-used instant messaging platforms may improve accessibility and adherence compared with standalone apps or websites that require additional learning effort.
This is a two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial evaluating a LINE chatbot-delivered brief mindfulness intervention (Mindbot) combined with VR-guided audio-visual content, compared with usual care, among cancer patients admitted to a hospital ward at a medical center in northern Taiwan.
Randomization: Participants are allocated 1:1 using an online randomizer (Sealed Envelope Simple Randomiser) with random permuted blocks of mixed sizes 4 and 6. The allocation sequence is generated by an independent researcher not involved in recruitment, and allocation results are concealed in sequentially numbered, opaque sealed envelopes until after consent and eligibility confirmation. To reduce cross-contamination among roommates in shared hospital rooms, all participants in the same room are assigned to the same study arm.
Blinding: Because the intervention is delivered via a distinguishable QR code (chatbot vs. existing hospital app), participants and on-site research staff cannot be blinded to allocation. After data de-identification and re-coding, the statistician performing the primary analysis is blinded to actual group assignment until the primary analysis is complete.
Intervention: The experimental arm receives automated push notifications at 13:00 and 21:00 daily, prompting a 10-minute structured mindfulness session (breath awareness, body scan, and mindful acceptance of hospital ambient sounds), guided by the virtual character "Mindbot" in a VR environment. Each session includes a pre- and post-practice assessment of cancer symptom severity and a 7-minute resting heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. The control arm receives usual hospital care and access to the hospital's existing health management app, which provides general disease-related e-education without mindfulness content.
Outcome assessment: Primary outcomes (mindfulness level, perceived stress, HRV, salivary cortisol) and secondary outcomes (fatigue, cancer symptom severity) are assessed at baseline (T0, at enrollment), hospital discharge (T2), and the first outpatient follow-up visit (T3). Salivary cortisol is additionally sampled four times daily (on waking, 30 minutes post-waking, afternoon, and late evening) throughout the intervention period. Qualitative feedback shared by participants through the LINE chat interface is de-identified, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis to complement the quantitative findings.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants are allocated 1:1 to two parallel groups using random permuted blocks of mixed sizes 4 and 6, generated via an online randomization system (Sealed Envelope Simple Randomiser).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Mindbot Brief Mindfulness Chatbot | Experimental | Behavioral: Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual RealityParticipants receive a LINE chatbot ("Mindbot") delivering a 10-minute structured brief mindfulness session (breath awareness, body scan, and mindful acceptance of ambient sounds) combined with virtual reality (VR)-guided audio-visual content, with automated push reminders at 13:00 and 21:00 daily, for the duration of their hospital stay. |
| Other: Usual Care | No intervention | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age greater than 18 years
- Diagnosed with cancer
- Able to use a smartphone and operate LINE (either the participant themselves or their caregiver)
- Able to communicate and read in Mandarin Chinese
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Physician-diagnosed severe psychiatric disorder or cognitive impairment that may affect comprehension of study content or ability to complete questionnaires
- Currently participating in another psychotherapy or mindfulness training program
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual RealityA LINE chatbot ("Mindbot") delivering a 10-minute structured brief mindfulness session (breath awareness, body scan, and mindful acceptance of ambient hospital sounds) combined with virtual reality (VR)-guided audio-visual content. Automated push notifications are sent daily at 13:00 and 21:00. Participants complete pre- and post-session assessments of symptom severity and 7-minute heart rate variability (HRV) measurements before and after each practice session. | Behavioural | Mindbot Brief Mindfulness Chatbot |
Primary outcome
Change in Perceived Stress
Time frame: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Perceived stress assessed using the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.
Change in Mindfulness Level
Time frame: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Mindfulness level assessed using the Chinese version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (CMAAS). Higher scores indicate greater mindfulness.
Change in Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Time frame: Before and after each daily practice session during hospitalization; and at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Heart rate variability measured using a validated HRV monitor during a 7-minute resting assessment, used as an objective physiological indicator of stress. Measured before and after each daily 10-minute mindfulness practice session (experimental arm), as well as at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up.
Change in Salivary Cortisol Concentration
Time frame: Four times daily (upon waking, 30 minutes post-waking, afternoon, and late evening), from enrollment through hospital discharge, an average of 4 days (range 3-5 days)
Salivary cortisol concentration measured as an objective biomarker of physiological stress. Saliva samples are self-collected at four time points daily: upon waking, 30 minutes after waking, in the afternoon (approximately 15:00), and in the late evening (approximately 22:00-23:00).
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Fatigue
Time frame: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Change in Cancer Symptom Severity
Time frame: Before and after each daily practice session during hospitalization; and at baseline, hospital discharge, and first outpatient follow-up (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Mindbot: Brief Mindfulness-Based LINE Chatbot with Virtual Reality in people with Cancer and Stress, Psychological, run by Taipei Medical University.
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 4 inclusion and 2 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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 Perceived Stress (time frame: Baseline (within 24 hours of enrollment), at hospital discharge (variable, depending on length of stay), and at the first outpatient follow-up visit (approximately 4 weeks after discharge)). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 10 Sep 2026.