A trial looking at artificial intelligence to summarise quality of life questionnaires
Cancer type:
Status:
Phase:
This trial is using artificial intelligence to see whether it improves 
questionnaires. It is for people who have cancer or had cancer in the past.
Artificial intelligence (AI) allows computers to learn and solve problems in ways that can seem human.
More about this trial
You may be asked to fill in quality of life questionnaires if you have cancer or if you take part in a . You may hear these questionnaires called patient reported outcome measures (or PROMs for short). Doctors use PROMs to assess how you have been feeling and to rate your quality of life. They are an important way to help improve treatment and health care.
Sometimes it is difficult to fill in these questionnaires. This could be because people find it hard to choose the correct response. For example, you usually rate your pain, tiredness or anxiety on a scale from ‘none at all’ to ‘very much’. You record each answer as a tick box. It can be difficult to choose the correct tick box if for example, you have more than one type of pain or if you don’t know what ‘a little’ pain means.
There is also limited time for healthcare professionals to interpret the information from the questionnaires and to do something about it. And the lack of detailed or accurate information can make it difficult to understand the true impact of cancer on a person's life.
In this trial, the team are exploring whether artificial intelligence (AI) can summarize and analyse PROMs questionnaires. The team have also included a comments box that people can fill in. This could help to provide more explanation and detail that might be missing from the standard questionnaires. These do not have comment boxes.
The main aims of the trial are to find out whether:
- adding comment boxes to standard quality of life questionnaires will provide useful information to healthcare professionals
- it is useful for AI to summarise and analyse the responses
Who can enter
The following bullet points are a summary of the entry conditions for this trial. Talk to your doctor or the trial team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you.
Who can take part
You may be able to join this trial if all of the following apply. You:
- have cancer or have had cancer in the past
- are at least 18 years old
Who can’t take part
You cannot join this trial if you are in hospital.
Trial design
The team need 100 people to take part in this trial.
You may see information about the trial on social media or online. You can take part if you fit the entry conditions and complete a consent form. You complete the and questionnaire online. This is either via a link or QR code.
The quality of life questionnaire is a standard one. It will ask you about things such as pain, tiredness or anxiety. It will also ask about any side effects you’ve had, and how you are coping with day to day life.
The team have also added an extra option to each question. It says ‘I have problems answering this question’. You can add details about any problems you are having with a particular question. The team will use your answers to create summary reports using AI. These reports are for your healthcare team.
Filling in the questionnaire takes about 10 minutes. There are 30 questions that you need to answer.
The reports are then looked at by a team of doctors. These include cancer researchers, cancer doctors and GPs. They will assess whether the reports are useful and reliable.
Hospital visits
You won’t have any extra hospital visits as a result of taking part in this trial.
Side effects
There is a very small chance you might feel upset when answering some of the questions. The team think this is unlikely to happen but if it does, you can contact the study team. They have a list of supporting organisations that they can signpost you to.
You are free to stop filling in the questionnaire at any point and to withdraw from the trial if you wish.
Location
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Chief Investigator
Mengxuan Sun
Supported by
University of Aberdeen
Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
