AYA-PeerConnect: A Communication Coaching Intervention for Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors (AYACS)

NCT07454460 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 28236
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 10
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This research is being done to test a communication coaching intervention pilot designed to improve communication quality between adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS) and their friends/peers. The results of the study will help to understand how to best support adolescent/young adult cancer survivors, and may inform the development or future implementation of similar programs for cancer survivor populations.

Conditions

Communication; Anxiety; Depression; Social Isolation

Keywords

Communication; Anxiety; Depression; Social Isolation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Intervention Feasibility (Quantitative)

  Quantitative feasibility will be collected based on visit attendance.

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

• Intervention Feasibility (Qualitative)

  Qualitative feasibility data will be collected from post-module mixed methods assessments, and exit interviews and focus groups.

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

• Intervention Acceptability (Quantitative)

  Quantitative acceptability will be collected using an acceptability questionnaire. Quantitative acceptability will be integrated with qualitative data from post-module mixed methods assessments, and exit interviews and focus groups to understand intervention acceptability.

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

• Intervention Acceptability (Qualitative)

  Qualitative acceptability data will be collected from post-module mixed methods assessments, and exit interviews and focus groups.

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

• Communication quality Multiple Goals Score

  Rating process for communication quality analysis (CQA) domains. A domain score is calculated for each of the six communication quality domains (content, emotion, accommodation, engagement, relationship, and face). Using the emotion domain as an example, the neutral score is assigned as a "1," and as participants express emotion (as per the definition above and further detailed in the CQA codebook) the score increases with the highest quality score being "7". A domain score is assigned every five minutes for each of the six domains. The full range for each measure is 6 (most neutral)-42 (highest quality).

  Baseline

• Communication quality Multiple Goals Score

  Rating process for communication quality analysis (CQA) domains. A domain score is calculated for each of the six communication quality domains (content, emotion, accommodation, engagement, relationship, and face). Using the emotion domain as an example, the neutral score is assigned as a "1," and as participants express emotion (as per the definition above and further detailed in the CQA codebook) the score increases with the highest quality score being "7". A domain score is assigned every five minutes for each of the six domains. The full range for each measure is 6 (most neutral)-42 (highest quality).

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Anxiety

  Baseline

• Anxiety

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

• Depression

  Baseline

• Depression

  Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

• Social isolation

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

Asynchronous coaching and artificial intelligence (AI) Yoodli coach sessions

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention will use a combination of asynchronous communication coaching sessions, and AI Yoodli coach sessions.

Behavioral: Asynchronous coaching and artificial intelligence (AI) Yoodli coach sessions

Interventions

Asynchronous coaching and artificial intelligence (AI) Yoodli coach sessions BEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete asynchronous individual sessions for Visits 2-4. Each visit will include a 60-minute interactive didactic session using Rise 360 software, with a 20-minute Yoodli AI coaching session (both Rise 360 and Yoodli will be accessed via website). Rise 360 sessions will cover topics related to communication style, multiple goals theory and how to apply concepts learned in being good communicators. Yoodli AI coaching session will be completed for the corresponding Rise 360 session before moving to the next visit's session. The 20-minute Yoodli AI coaching sessions will include coaching from the Yoodli AI coach and practicing various peer conversation situations. These sessions will consolidate and reinforce concepts learned in the didactic sessions. The Yoodli AI coach is programmed with input on relationship style (a communication tool to assess communication style) to deliver personalized coaching.

Asynchronous coaching and artificial intelligence (AI) Yoodli coach sessions

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Participant is currently ≥18-35 years old
• Participant is receiving cancer-directed care at Penn State Cancer Institute or Penn State Children's Hospital
• Participant has completed all cancer-directed therapy and is at least 1 year from end of cancer treatment (based on date of last cancer-directed treatment)
• Participant has access to a computer with internet capability
• Participant is fluent in written and spoken English

You may not qualify if:

• Participant is not fluent in written and spoken English
• Participant with cognitive inability to participant in the study as determined by the study team
• Participants with history of relapsed cancer

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Communication; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Social Isolation

Interventions

Artificial Intelligence

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Social Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Algorithms; Mathematical Concepts

Study Officials

• Pooja Rao, MD MSCE

  Penn State College of Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Pooja Rao, MD MSCE

CONTACT

7175316012; prao2@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 2, 2026
• First Posted: March 6, 2026
• Study Start: April 14, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF
• Time Frame: 1 years to 3 years following final publication.

Locations

US (1)