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

NCT ID: NCT07454460Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical CenterLast updated: 2026-05-22

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.

Detailed description

This study is being done to test a communication coaching intervention 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.

Arms & interventions

  • BehavioralAsynchronous coaching and artificial intelligence (AI) Yoodli coach sessions

    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.

Outcome measures

Primary

  • Intervention Feasibility (Quantitative)

    Quantitative feasibility will be collected based on visit attendance.

    Time frame: 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.

    Time frame: 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.

    Time frame: 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.

    Time frame: 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).

    Time frame: 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).

    Time frame: Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

Secondary

  • Anxiety

    Time frame: Baseline

  • Anxiety

    Time frame: Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

  • Depression

    Time frame: Baseline

  • Depression

    Time frame: Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

  • Social isolation

    Time frame: Baseline

  • Social isolation

    Time frame: Post intervention follow up visit (Up to a month)

Eligibility criteria

Sex: AllAge: 18 Years to 35 YearsHealthy volunteers: No
Inclusion Criteria: * 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 Exclusion Criteria: * 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

Study locations (1)

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033

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