An interventional study of MICA and TRAC in Alcohol Misuse, sponsored by Stanford University. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-30.
Sponsored by Stanford University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
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.
Exclusion Criteria:
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.
Behavioral: MICA
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.
Behavioral: MICA · Behavioral: TRAC
Standard ED care and as-needed referral to alcohol resources
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.).
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.
Mean weekly alcohol consumption
Participants report (1) the average number of standard alcohol drinks each day of the week. Estimated weekly alcohol consumption will be calculated as the sum of all those drinks over 7 days.
Time frame: Baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups
Number of heavy drinking days
Asking participants: "Over the past 30 days, how many days did you have 4+ standard drinks (women) / 5+ standard drinks (men)?"
Time frame: Baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups
Max number of drinks per drinking day
Asking participants, "Over the past 30 days, what is the most drinks you had on any single day?"
Time frame: Baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups
AUDIT score
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a 10 question screen for AUD
Time frame: Baseline, 3-, 6, 12-months
SIP-2R
Short Inventory of Problems (SIP-2R) is a 15-item questionnaire used to measure the negative consequences and harm caused by drinking alcohol
Time frame: Baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-months
Plan to share: Yes — All survey data from baseline through 12-month followups will be uploaded to the data repository (the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Data Archive (NIAAADA). All counseling sessions and SMS data will be de-identified and kept in a separate repository.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Csr, Analytic code
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Stanford University