AI-LLM Communication Aid in Prostate Cancer Care (AI-CAP）

The VAS-A (Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety) is a simple scoring tool used to measure the severity of anxietysymptoms. It consists of a single 10-centimeter line with anchors at either end (e.g., "no anxiety" at 0 and "extremeanxiety" at 10). Patients mark a point on the line to indicate their current anxiety level, and the score is measured asthe distance from the "no anxiety" end. The minimum score is 0 (indicating no anxiety) and the maximum score is 10(indicating extreme anxiety). Higher scores mean worse outcomes, as they reflect more severe anxiety symptoms.

Heart rate is measured under resting conditions, with two times measured, and the average value is calculated. Heart rate (HR) is defined as the number of heartbeats per minute (bpm), higher HR may signal adverse reactions, or physiological stress.

Blood pressure (BP) is recorded as two values: systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). BP is measured under resting conditions, with two measurements taken, and the average value is calculated. Higher BP value may indicate a more tense state.

The PSQ-18, or Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18, is a scale designed to assess patient satisfaction with healthcare services. It consists of 18 items, each rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = "very dissatisfied" to 5 = "very satisfied") to evaluate domains like communication, accessibility, and quality of care.

The total score ranges from 18 (minimum, indicating very low satisfaction) to 90 (maximum, indicating very high satisfaction).Higher scores on the PSQ-18 mean better outcomes, reflecting greater patient satisfaction with the healthcare experience.

The EORTC QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30) is a widely used self-report scale assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in cancer patients. It comprises 30 items measuring three domains: functional scales (e.g., physical, role, emotional function), symptom scales (e.g., fatigue, pain, nausea), and a global health status/HRQoL scale.

Scores for each domain are linearly transformed to a range of 0 to 100. For functional scales and the global health status/HRQoL scale, higher scores indicate better outcomes (e.g., better physical function or overall quality of life).

For symptom scales, higher scores indicate worse outcomes (e.g., more severe fatigue or pain).

The APAIS (Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale) is a tool designed to assess two key aspects of preoperative psychological state: anxiety related to surgery/anesthesia and the need for information about the procedure. It consists of 6 items, with 4 measuring anxiety (e.g., "I am worried about the anesthesia") and 2 assessing information needs (e.g., "I would like more information about what will happen during the operation"). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = "not at all" to 5 = "extremely").

The total score ranges from 6 (minimum, indicating very low anxiety and minimal information needs) to 30 (maximum, indicating severe anxiety and strong information needs). Higher scores on the APAIS generally mean worse outcomes, as they reflect greater preoperative anxiety (a negative psychological state) and/or heightened unmet information needs.

The B-IPQ-PCa (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire for Prostate Cancer) is a validated tool designed to assess prostate cancer patients' perceptions of their illness. It adapts the original Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) to focus on prostate cancer-specific experiences, measuring domains such as perceived illness timeline, consequences, personal/treatment control, identity (symptom burden), concern, emotional impact, and understanding of the illness.

The scale typically includes 8 scored items rated on 0-10 scale. Total scores range from 0 (minimum, reflecting more positive/adaptive illness perceptions) to 80 (maximum, indicating more negative/maladaptive perceptions).

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a widely used psychological tool to measure an individual's positive and negative emotional states. It consists of 20 items (10 for positive affect, 10 for negative affect), with each item rated on a 5-point scale (1 = "very slightly or not at all" to 5 = "extremely"). For each dimension: the minimum score is 10 (little to no affect) and the maximum score is 50 (intense affect). Higher scores on the Positive Affect (PA) subscale indicate better outcomes (e.g., greater enthusiasm, alertness, or joy), while higher scores on the Negative Affect (NA) subscale indicate worse outcomes (e.g., more distress, fear, or anger).

Duration of the routine preoperative communication, measured from the initiation of the discussion until the patient explicitly indicates no further questions, electronically timed and recorded in minutes.

GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale) is a scale used to assess anxiety-related symptoms. Each of its 7 items is scored from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 3 points, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 21. Higher scores indicate worse outcomes, as they reflect more severe anxiety symptoms.

The VAS-A (Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety) is a simple scoring tool used to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms. It consists of a single 10-centimeter line with anchors at either end (e.g., "no anxiety" at 0 and "extreme anxiety" at 10). Patients mark a point on the line to indicate their current anxiety level, and the score is measured as the distance from the "no anxiety" end. The minimum score is 0 (indicating no anxiety) and the maximum score is 10 (indicating extreme anxiety). Higher scores mean worse outcomes, as they reflect more severe anxiety symptoms.

The MCMQ score (Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire) is a scale designed to assess patients' coping strategies when facing illness. It typically consists of 20 items, with each item scored from 1 (least agreement) to 4 (most agreement), resulting in a total score ranging from 20 (minimum) to 80 (maximum). Higher scores alone do not universally indicate better or worse outcomes, as the scale measures three distinct coping dimensions: Confrontation (active engagement), Avoidance (distancing), and Resignation (passive acceptance). Higher scores on "Confrontation" often reflect more adaptive coping (better outcome), while higher scores on "Resignation" may indicate less adaptive coping (worse outcome).

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a widely used psychological tool to measure an individual's positive and negative emotional states. It consists of 20 items (10 for positive affect, 10 for negative affect), with each item rated on a 5-point scale (1 = "very slightly or not at all" to 5 = "extremely"). For each dimension: the minimum score is 10 (little to no affect) and the maximum score is 50 (intense affect). Higher scores on the Positive Affect (PA) subscale indicate better outcomes (e.g., greater enthusiasm, alertness, or joy), while higher scores on the Negative Affect (NA) subscale indicate worse outcomes (e.g., more distress, fear, or anger).