Personalized NFTs as a Trial Participation Incentive (AvatarDTx)

Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Healthy; Digital Health; Incentive Interventions

Treatments: Behavioral: Interview; Device: CURATE.DTx sessions

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06647030

Avatar.DTx

Details and patient eligibility

About

NFTs are blockchain-based digital and physical assets traded on digital marketplaces. Current and exploratory NFT use cases include art, collectibles, in-game items, real estate, ticketing, events, fintech, licenses, IDs, and healthcare. NFT marketplaces, online games, virtual worlds, and open-source coding platforms use NFTs to incentivize participation. In trials, where the effectiveness of financial remuneration to increase trial participation is unclear, NFTs could encourage involvement. Considering the increasing opportunities for blockchain technology and NFT use in both the economy and society, we present a pilot study protocol to gauge the interest and feasibility of using NFTs as payment for trial participants, the first of its kind to our knowledge. Additionally, as the global population ages and chronic diseases become more prevalent, innovative solutions to sustain engagement in longevity-focused interventions are needed. Harnessing CURATE.AI, an indication-agnostic artificial intelligence (AI) platform that modulates the intensity of interventions to generate truly personalized profiles - or digital avatars, we will develop N-of-1 learning trajectory profiles for fifteen healthy volunteers trained on the CURATE.DTx, a digital therapeutic (DTx) platform. The profiles will be artistically modified and minted for the participants in the Ethereum blockchain, whereafter the recipient can choose to keep, display, or trade their NFT. Through interviews, we will evaluate the interest and acceptability of NFTs as an incentive for trial participation. This pioneering exploration connects AI-driven personalized medicine with inventive blockchain solutions. Our research aims to advance the field of digital therapeutics and pave the way for novel approaches to patient-centered care and incentivization strategies in clinical trials.

Enrollment: 15 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy
• Agree to audio-recording of the interview
• Meet the cognitive criteria for adequate mental capacity as determined by the MMSE.

Exclusion criteria

• Difficulty to understand and read English (the DTx text and audio are in English)
• Significant hearing impairment
• Evidence/diagnosis of severe cognitive impairment
• Inability to complete the study at the judgement of the investigators

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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15 participants in 1 patient group

Avatar.DTx

Experimental group

Description:

DTx sessions: participants will interact with the DTx twelve minutes per day, three days per week, for ten weeks. We will obtain a personalized profile for each participant (relationship between training intensity and participant's performance). A digital artist will receive the profiles without personal or medical data and create fifteen unique artworks. The team, who will mint the artworks as NFTs on Ethereum and send them to the participants' digital wallets (or help them to set one up). The NFTs will be displayed on OpenSea. If the Ethereum blockchain stops its activity within two years of the NFT minting, the team will mint a new NFT for each participant in an alternative blockchain and compensate them with SGD150. After the last DTx session (regardless of study completion by the participant), a 60-minute interview will be conducted.

Treatment:

Device: CURATE.DTx sessions

Behavioral: Interview