Staying Healthy With Follow-up Care: A Mobile Chatbot Feasibility Study for AYA Cancer Survivors

NCT05863702 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UPCC#: 11923
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 53
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this project is to identify effective strategies to assist survivors of childhood and young adult cancers (diagnosed between birth and age 39) who have not returned for follow-up cancer care for 3 or more years, to reengage with the health care system. The investigator will evaluate the effect of a novel, bidirectional conversational agent ("Penny"), compared to usual care, to assist patients with scheduling appointments, lab work as well as scans and specialty appointments as needed.

Conditions

Survivorship

Keywords

Survivorship; Pediatric Cancers; Young Adult Cancers

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• To evaluate the utilization of a chatbot (Penny) to increase receipt of evidence-based survivorship care in YA survivors of pediatric and YA cancers

  We will identify adult survivors of pediatric and YA cancers who have not been seen for follow-up care \>3 years and evaluate patients' engagement with Penny to schedule return appointments and adhere to recommended life-long ongoing follow-up care according to the NCCN guidelines. Patients will be monitored over a 16-week period to see if they scheduled a follow-up care appointment.

  1 year

• Number of patients who agree to use Penny and patient engagement overtime in those patients randomized to the Penny arm

  Percentage of initial responses to the conversation initiated by Penny (opt in vs. opt out) providing permission for text messaging

  1 year

• Number of patients who agree to use Penny and patient engagement overtime in those patients randomized to the Penny arm

  Total number of times patients engage with Penny to schedule follow up appointments, scans, labs, recommendations for other services made at each clinical visit

  1 year

• Number of patients who agree to use Penny and patient engagement overtime in those patients randomized to the Penny arm

  Total number of patients who engage with Penny throughout the study, schedule and are compliant with appointments, scans, labs, and referrals to other services made at each clinical visit

  1 year

Study Arms (2)

Usual Care

NO INTERVENTION

Penny text-messaging program

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Penny

Interventions

Penny BEHAVIORAL

The chatbot will assist patients who have not been see for cancer follow-up care, with scheduling follow-up appointments, labs, scans, specialty appointments, and monitor compliance with the appointments made.

Penny text-messaging program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adult patient (age \> 18 years), male or female, diagnosed with cancer as a child or as a young adult, between birth and 39 years of age
• Patient possession of a mobile device that can receive SMS texts
• Ability to respond to questions and engage with "Penny" in English
• Ability to provide informed consent to participate in the study
• Approval of the patient's oncology care team for the patient to be involved in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with a history of thyroid cancer or skin cancers

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine: lead

Study Sites (1)

Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 24, 2023
• First Posted: May 18, 2023
• Study Start: September 11, 2023
• Primary Completion: September 1, 2025
• Study Completion: October 30, 2025
• Last Updated: December 17, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)