Clinical trial · Interventional
Medi-Port Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Using a Humanoid Robot to Reduce Procedural Pain and Distress in Children With Cancer: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Pain is a frequent and significant problem related to cancer-directed treatment in children. Children with cancer often cite needle procedures as the most distressing experience caused by cancer and its treatment. Recently it has been shown that an interactive humanoid robot is capable of facilitating distraction and reducing distress during childhood immunizations. Our research objectives are to: (1) assess the feasibility of implementing the robot (Medi-Port) for effectiveness testing in a future RCT (measured as implementation outcomes) and (2) determine treatment effectiveness estimates (measured as preliminary effectiveness outcomes), compared to standard medical care.
Conditions
Conditions (5)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-9 Years of Age | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Able to Speak and Understand English | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Actively Undergoing Cancer Treatment | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| At Least 1 Month From Diagnosis | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Presenting to Clinic for at Least a 2nd Subcutaneous Port Needle Insertion | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medi-Port | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Intervention Group
- description
- Children in the experimental treatment condition will sit in front of the nurse and beside (or on the lap) of a parent. Medi-Port (humanoid robot) will be positioned beside the child (at eye-level) and will execute a pre-programmed series of behaviours to distract the child before, during, and after the SCP needle insertion. The nurse will insert the needle according to hospital procedures, using minimal distraction (e.g., "What's on TV?"). The estimated time for port procedures and completion of the needle insertion will range from 10-30 minutes. The total estimated time which includes the completion of surveys and questionnaires on the pain intensity of the SCP needle insertion procedure and acceptability of Medi-port will be approximately 1 hour. There will be no follow-up visits.
- interventionNames
- Device: Medi-Port
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Control Group
- description
- Following consent and randomization, children in the (control) usual care condition will sit in front of the nurse and beside (or on the lap) of a parent. Medi-Port (humanoid robot) will be positioned beside the child (at eye-level) and will execute a standard set of dancing movements only. The nurse will insert the needle according to hospital procedures, using minimal distraction (e.g., "What's on TV?"). The estimated time for port procedures and completion of the needle insertion will range from 10-30 minutes. The total estimated time which includes the completion of surveys and questionnaires on the pain intensity of the SCP needle insertion procedure and acceptability of Medi-port will be approximately 1 hour. There will be no follow-up visits.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 4 Years
- Maximum age
- 9 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * 4-9 years * able to speak and understand English, * actively undergoing cancer treatment * presenting to clinic for at least a 2nd subcutaneous port needle insertion * being at least 1 month from diagnosis. Exclusion Criteria: * visual, auditory or cognitive impairments precluding interaction with Medi-Port * end-of-life patients * patients who are nil per os pre-sedation.
References
Publications (1)
- DERIVEDJibb LA, Birnie KA, Nathan PC, Beran TN, Hum V, Victor JC, Stinson JN. Using the MEDiPORT humanoid robot to reduce procedural pain and distress in children with cancer: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2018 Sep;65(9):e27242. doi: 10.1002/pbc.27242. Epub 2018 Jun 12. PMID 29893482