Clinical trial · Interventional
SAFE.AI: Developing and Testing an AI-based Hybrid Chatbot for Financial Empowerment in Rural Cancer Care
NCT07410689CI-TRIAL-00113851recruitingN/AClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 26, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260926-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This is a randomized, two-arm, parallel-group pilot trial investigating a new chatbot tool designed to support cancer patients and caregivers, particularly those in rural communities. Approximately 60 participants will be randomized 1:1 to interact with either a hybrid chatbot or an AI-enabled chatbot. Participants will use their assigned chatbot to obtain clear and helpful information related to insurance, travel costs, and other financial aspects of cancer care.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | Malignant Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Financial Toxicity | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Chatbot | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Rule-Based Chatbot | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- OTHER
- label
- Rule-based Chatbot
- description
- Participants randomized to this arm will be asked to use the rule-based chatbot.
- interventionNames
- Other: Rule-Based Chatbot
- type
- OTHER
- label
- Hybrid Chatbot
- description
- Participants randomized to this arm will be asked to use the hybrid chatbot
- interventionNames
- Other: Hybrid Chatbot
Primary outcomes (5)
- measure
- Single-Item Helpfulness Rating
- timeFrame
- up to 2 weeks
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (18 years and older) * Cancer patients or financially responsible caregivers of cancer patients who: * Reside in the Huntsman Cancer Institute's five-state catchment area (Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Nevada), * Are able to read and write in English, and * Live in a rural area, defined by endorsement of a residential ZIP code classified as non-metropolitan (RUCA codes 4-10) per the USDA Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes. Exclusion Criteria: * Respondents who do not live within this 5-state region--The SAFE toolkit material was developed for the Huntsman Cancer Institute patient population which serves UT, ID, MT, WY, \& NV * Respondents who only speak Spanish or other exclusively non-English speaking groups--The large language model for the chatbot will be developed in the English language. As non-English language training for the chatbot is not part of the scope of this study, participants who are unable to read and write in English may not be appropriate. As such, we will not be recruiting participants who only speak Spanish or other exclusively non-English speaking groups. Future studies will include adaptation of the chatbot to other languages. * Caregivers who are not primarily responsible for the financial aspects of patients' cancer care--The topic of financial hardship of cancer care may be less relevant for caregivers who are not financially involved in care. * Non-rural dwelling
References
Publications (35)
- BACKGROUNDMariotto AB, Enewold L, Zhao J, Zeruto CA, Yabroff KR. Medical Care Costs Associated with Cancer Survivorship in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020 Jul;29(7):1304-1312. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-1534. Epub 2020 Jun 10. PMID 32522832
- BACKGROUNDCarrera PM, Kantarjian HM, Blinder VS. The financial burden and distress of patients with cancer: Understanding and stepping-up action on the financial toxicity of cancer treatment. CA Cancer J Clin. 2018 Mar;68(2):153-165. doi: 10.3322/caac.21443. Epub 2018 Jan 16. PMID 29338071
- BACKGROUNDLyman GH, Kuderer N. Financial Toxicity, Financial Abuse, or Financial Torture: Let's Call It What It is! Cancer Invest. 2020 Mar;38(3):139-142. doi: 10.1080/07357907.2020.1735084. Epub 2020 Mar 4. No abstract available. PMID 32093505
- BACKGROUNDPisu M, Henrikson NB, Banegas MP, Yabroff KR. Costs of cancer along the care continuum: What we can expect based on recent literature. Cancer. 2018 Nov 1;124(21):4181-4191. doi: 10.1002/cncr.31643. Epub 2018 Oct 17. PMID 30475400
- BACKGROUNDYabroff KR, Mariotto A, Tangka F, Zhao J, Islami F, Sung H, Sherman RL, Henley SJ, Jemal A, Ward EM. Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, Part 2: Patient Economic Burden Associated With Cancer Care. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2021 Nov 29;113(12):1670-1682. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djab192. PMID 34698839
- BACKGROUNDKnight TG, Deal AM, Dusetzina SB, Muss HB, Choi SK, Bensen JT, Williams GR. Financial Toxicity in Adults With Cancer: Adverse Outcomes and Noncompliance. J Oncol Pract. 2018 Oct 24:JOP1800120. doi: 10.1200/JOP.18.00120. Online ahead of print. PMID 30355027
- BACKGROUNDAllcott N, Dunham L, Levy D, Carr J, Stitzenberg K. Financial burden amongst cancer patients treated with curative intent surgery alone. Am J Surg. 2019 Sep;218(3):452-456. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.01.033. Epub 2019 Jan 31.