AI-Assisted Written Information in Chronic Anal Fissure (AF-AI)

September 3, 2026 updated by: Vedat Kaplan, Sanliurfa Education and Research Hospital

Effect of AI-Assisted Written Patient Information on Medical Treatment Adherence and Short-Term Patient-Reported Outcomes in Primary Chronic Anal Fissure: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

This single-center, prospective, 1:1 randomized, parallel-group controlled superiority trial compares standard verbal counseling with AI-assisted written patient information in adults with primary chronic anal fissure receiving initial medical/conservative treatment. The primary objective is to determine whether AI-assisted written information improves complete treatment adherence at day 14. Secondary objectives include pain and discomfort outcomes, Patient Global Impression of Change, HEMO-FISS-QoL change, stool form change, additional healthcare visits, transition to interventional treatment, and patient satisfaction.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a single-center, prospective, 1:1 randomized, parallel-group, superiority-type controlled trial. Adult patients with primary chronic anal fissure for whom initial medical/conservative treatment is planned will be enrolled. Participants will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to two groups. The control group will receive standardized verbal counseling, whereas the intervention group will receive AI-assisted written patient information containing the same medical content and pre-validated by the investigators. The medical treatment regimen will be identical in both groups, and the only difference will be the method of patient information delivery. Assessments will be performed face-to-face at baseline, by telephone on days 7 and 14, and face-to-face at week 6. The primary endpoint is complete treatment adherence at day 14. Secondary outcomes include changes in pain and discomfort at days 7 and 14 and week 6, PGI-C, change in HEMO-FISS-QoL score, change in stool form, additional healthcare visits, need for interventional treatment, and patient satisfaction.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
220

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 18 years or older
  2. Clinical diagnosis of primary chronic anal fissure
  3. Initial medical/conservative treatment planned at first evaluation
  4. Ability to read and understand Turkish
  5. Reachable by telephone
  6. Provision of written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Acute anal fissure
  2. Suspicion or diagnosis of secondary fissure (including Crohn's disease, tuberculosis, HIV-related lesion, suspected malignancy, or atypical lateral fissure)
  3. Planned botulinum toxin, surgery, or another interventional treatment
  4. History of botulinum toxin or surgical treatment for anal fissure within the last 6 months
  5. Concomitant perianal abscess, fistula, advanced hemorrhoidal disease, or another significant anorectal pathology
  6. Pregnancy and early postpartum period

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: AI-assisted written patient information
Participants receive standardized medical treatment plus AI-assisted written patient information that contains the same medical content as the verbal counseling and has been pre-validated by the investigators.
Behavioral: AI-assisted written patient information
Investigator-validated written patient information prepared with AI assistance and provided in addition to standard medical treatment.
Active Comparator: Standardized verbal counseling
Participants receive standardized medical treatment plus standardized verbal counseling alone.
Behavioral: Standardized verbal counseling
Standardized verbal counseling regarding medical treatment and lifestyle measures, provided in addition to standard medical treatment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Complete treatment adherence at Day 14
Time Frame: Day 14
Complete treatment adherence at Day 14, defined as a total adherence score of at least 5 out of 6 predefined treatment-behavior items: regular topical medication use, correct application to the target area, regular stool softener or fiber support, achievement of the water intake target, regular warm sitz bath or warm water application, and avoidance of excessive straining.
Day 14

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain during defecation at Day 7
Time Frame: Day 7
Pain during defecation assessed using a 0 to 10 Visual Analog Scale, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain; higher scores indicate worse pain.
Day 7
Pain during defecation at Day 14
Time Frame: Day 14
Pain during defecation assessed using a 0 to 10 Visual Analog Scale, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain; higher scores indicate worse pain.
Day 14
Pain during defecation at Week 6
Time Frame: Week 6
Pain during defecation assessed using a 0 to 10 Visual Analog Scale, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain; higher scores indicate worse pain.
Week 6
Patient Global Impression of Change at Day 7
Time Frame: Day 7
Patient Global Impression of Change assessed on a 7-category ordinal scale: very much improved, much improved, a little improved, unchanged, a little worse, much worse, and very much worse.
Day 7
Patient Global Impression of Change at Week 6
Time Frame: Week 6
Patient Global Impression of Change assessed on a 7-category ordinal scale: very much improved, much improved, a little improved, unchanged, a little worse, much worse, and very much worse.
Week 6

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Sanliurfa Education and Research Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 3, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • SEAH-AF-AI

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared because this is a single-center study involving sensitive patient-level clinical data, and there is no pre-specified institutional mechanism for external data sharing. Only aggregated, de-identified study results will be reported.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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