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

Staying Healthy With Follow-up Care: A Feasibility Study Utilizing a Chatbot (Penny) Via Mobile Phones to Increase Compliance With Risk Based Survivorship Care (RBSC) Among Adult Survivors of Pediatric and Young Adult Cancers

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Survivorship
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Penny

Detailed Description

To achieve this, the investigator will use a two-arm randomized controlled trial to explore how multilevel factors impact the acceptability and effectiveness of this strategy by collecting qualitative and quantitative data from patients. Penny is a conversational agent ("chatbot") that engages patients in real time via text messaging, allowing for bidirectional communication and motivational cues to promote adherence. 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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 53
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
      • Abramson Cancer Center of The University of Pennsylvania

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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

Exclusion Criteria:

• Anyone who does not meet the inclusion criteria
• Patients with a history of thyroid cancer or skin cancers

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Usual Care
Experimental: Penny text-messaging program	Behavioral: Penny; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 11, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): October 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 24, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): May 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 16, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Survivorship; Pediatric Cancers; Young Adult Cancers
• Other Study ID Numbers: UPCC#: 11923

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No