Patient DischargeContextCareNCT07890532
AI-Simplified Discharge Summaries to Improve Patient Comprehension (ContextCare)
A study testing ContextCare-assisted discharge communication and Standard discharge communication in people with Patient Discharge and Health Literacy, run by Scarborough Health Network at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
This randomized pilot study will compare standard hospital discharge communication with discharge summaries simplified using ContextCare, an artificial intelligence-assisted application. The study will enroll 50 adults discharged from Scarborough Health Network. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Patient Discharge, Health Literacy
- What is being tested?
- ContextCare-assisted discharge communication and Standard discharge communication
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 52 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 20 Aug 2026to 30 Oct 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 18 years or older.
- Medically stable for discharge.
- Completed discharge summary available.
- Independently able to participate in consent.
- Able to understand the consent form in English.
Who cannot join
- Age younger than 18 years.
- Medical instability or acute illness preventing discharge.
- Has a legally authorized representative or substitute decision maker for conditions including, but not limited to, impaired vision and/or hearing or impaired speech.
- Discharge summary unavailable at the time of discharge.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Scarborough Health Network
Scarborough Village, Ontario
About this study
Official title: ContextCare: A Randomized Pilot Trial of AI-simplified Discharge Summaries to Improve Patient Comprehension
This randomized pilot study will compare standard hospital discharge communication with discharge summaries simplified using ContextCare, an artificial intelligence-assisted application. The study will enroll 50 adults discharged from Scarborough Health Network. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups in a 1:1 ratio, with allocation stratified by baseline health literacy. The main measure is how well participants explain their diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and instructions for seeking further help immediately after receiving discharge information. The study will also assess satisfaction, recall after discharge, and selected post-discharge outcomes.
Read the detailed description
ContextCare produces plain-language discharge instructions from de-identified hospital discharge summaries and adapts the output to the participant's preferred language and information format. Participants in the intervention group receive ContextCare-assisted discharge communication; control participants receive the standard verbal and printed hospital discharge instructions. All participants complete an immediate teach-back assessment across diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and return instructions. Baseline health literacy is measured using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS).
The randomized phase follows application development and an internal workflow pilot involving approximately 10 patients. During the workflow pilot, generated summaries are reviewed only by study staff and are not provided to patients or used in clinical care. Workflow pilot data are excluded from the randomized trial analysis; the enrollment target of 50 applies to the randomized phase.
Discharge and teach-back interactions may be video recorded with consent to support independent scoring. The study is open label, with no masking. Statistical analyses compare comprehension between groups and examine the interaction between discharge communication type and baseline health literacy. Qualitative feedback will be analyzed thematically.
- Conditions
- Patient Discharge, Health Literacy
- Being tested
- ContextCare-assisted discharge communication, Standard discharge communication
- Keywords
- Discharge communication, Patient comprehension, Health literacy, Artificial intelligence, Teach-back, ContextCare
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
ContextCare-assisted discharge communicationBehavioural
De-identified discharge summaries are processed by ContextCare using large language models to simplify medical language and organize information under care plan, medications, follow-up appointments, and when to seek help. Output is tailored by language and preferred format and may include audio and interactive follow-up questions.
Standard discharge communicationBehavioural
Routine verbal explanation and printed hospital discharge instructions provided by hospital staff.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ContextCare | Experimental | Participants receive AI-simplified discharge instructions generated using ContextCare, tailored to their preferred language and information format, with optional audio and an interactive chat function. Receives: Behavioral: ContextCare-assisted discharge communication |
| Standard discharge communication | Active comparator | Participants receive the standard hospital discharge process, consisting of verbal and printed discharge instructions from hospital staff. Receives: Behavioral: Standard discharge communication |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patient comprehension of discharge instructions: total teach-back score
Participants explain their diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and return instructions in their own words. Each of the four domains is scored from 1 (no comprehension) to 4 (complete comprehension). The total score ranges from 4 to 16, with higher scores indicating better comprehension.
Measured: Immediately after discharge instructions are provided
Secondary outcomes (4)
Patient satisfaction with discharge communication
Participants answer: How clear and helpful was the discharge information you received? Responses range from 1 (not at all clear) to 5 (extremely clear), with higher scores indicating greater perceived clarity and helpfulness.
Measured: Immediately after the teach-back assessment at discharge
Recall of discharge information
Recall of discharge information is assessed by a follow-up telephone call or an in-person check.
Measured: 24 to 48 hours after discharge
Hospital readmission
Hospital readmission within 30 days after discharge.
Measured: Within 30 days after discharge
Baseline health literacy: Newest Vital Sign (NVS)
Health literacy is assessed using a nutrition label and six questions. Scores range from 0 to 6: 0 to 1 indicates a high likelihood of limited literacy, 2 to 3 indicates possible limited literacy, and 4 to 6 indicates adequate literacy. Baseline health literacy is used for stratification and assessment of its association with comprehension.
Measured: Before discharge communication and the teach-back assessment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Oct 2026
- Study start20 Aug 2026
- Primary completion30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Patient DischargeStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Two groups with 1:1 randomized allocation stratified by baseline health literacy: standard discharge communication versus ContextCare-assisted discharge communication.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 52 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Scarborough Health Network
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Joshua S. Landy, Scarborough Health Network
- Investigators
- Joshua Landy, Principal investigator, Scarborough Health Network Research Institute (SHNRI)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07890532
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- EDU-26-011
- Acronym
- ContextCare
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 22 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: All data will be analyzed and presented in aggregate.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- ContextCare: A Randomized Pilot Trial of AI-simplified Discharge Summaries to Improve Patient Comprehension
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07890532
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ContextCare / EDU-26-011
- Conditions
- Patient Discharge, Health Literacy
- Keywords
- Discharge communication, Patient comprehension, Health literacy, Artificial intelligence, Teach-back, ContextCare
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 52 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Scarborough Health NetworkUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized pilot study will compare standard hospital discharge communication with discharge summaries simplified using ContextCare, an artificial intelligence-assisted application. The study will enroll 50 adults discharged from Scarborough Health Network. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups in a 1:1 ratio, with allocation stratified by baseline health literacy. The main measure is how well participants explain their diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and instructions for seeking further help immediately after receiving discharge information. The study will also assess satisfaction, recall after discharge, and selected post-discharge outcomes.
Detailed description
ContextCare produces plain-language discharge instructions from de-identified hospital discharge summaries and adapts the output to the participant's preferred language and information format. Participants in the intervention group receive ContextCare-assisted discharge communication; control participants receive the standard verbal and printed hospital discharge instructions. All participants complete an immediate teach-back assessment across diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and return instructions. Baseline health literacy is measured using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS).
The randomized phase follows application development and an internal workflow pilot involving approximately 10 patients. During the workflow pilot, generated summaries are reviewed only by study staff and are not provided to patients or used in clinical care. Workflow pilot data are excluded from the randomized trial analysis; the enrollment target of 50 applies to the randomized phase.
Discharge and teach-back interactions may be video recorded with consent to support independent scoring. The study is open label, with no masking. Statistical analyses compare comprehension between groups and examine the interaction between discharge communication type and baseline health literacy. Qualitative feedback will be analyzed thematically.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Two groups with 1:1 randomized allocation stratified by baseline health literacy: standard discharge communication versus ContextCare-assisted discharge communication.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ContextCare | Experimental | Behavioral: ContextCare-assisted discharge communicationParticipants receive AI-simplified discharge instructions generated using ContextCare, tailored to their preferred language and information format, with optional audio and an interactive chat function. |
| Standard discharge communication | Active comparator | Behavioral: Standard discharge communicationParticipants receive the standard hospital discharge process, consisting of verbal and printed discharge instructions from hospital staff. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Age 18 years or older.
- Medically stable for discharge.
- Completed discharge summary available.
- Independently able to participate in consent.
- Able to understand the consent form in English.
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age younger than 18 years.
- Medical instability or acute illness preventing discharge.
- Has a legally authorized representative or substitute decision maker for conditions including, but not limited to, impaired vision and/or hearing or impaired speech.
- Discharge summary unavailable at the time of discharge.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| ContextCare-assisted discharge communicationDe-identified discharge summaries are processed by ContextCare using large language models to simplify medical language and organize information under care plan, medications, follow-up appointments, and when to seek help. Output is tailored by language and preferred format and may include audio and interactive follow-up questions. | Behavioural | ContextCare |
| Standard discharge communicationRoutine verbal explanation and printed hospital discharge instructions provided by hospital staff. | Behavioural | Standard discharge communication |
Primary outcome
Patient comprehension of discharge instructions: total teach-back score
Time frame: Immediately after discharge instructions are provided
Participants explain their diagnosis, treatment, follow-up care, and return instructions in their own words. Each of the four domains is scored from 1 (no comprehension) to 4 (complete comprehension). The total score ranges from 4 to 16, with higher scores indicating better comprehension.
4 secondary outcomes
Patient satisfaction with discharge communication
Time frame: Immediately after the teach-back assessment at discharge
Recall of discharge information
Time frame: 24 to 48 hours after discharge
Hospital readmission
Time frame: Within 30 days after discharge
Baseline health literacy: Newest Vital Sign (NVS)
Time frame: Before discharge communication and the teach-back assessment
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. All data will be analyzed and presented in aggregate.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Joshua Landy principal investigator
Scarborough Health Network Research Institute (SHNRI)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing ContextCare-assisted discharge communication and Standard discharge communication in people with Patient Discharge and Health Literacy, run by Scarborough Health Network at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Joshua Landy (416-300-2010, jlandy@shn.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patient comprehension of discharge instructions: total teach-back score (time frame: Immediately after discharge instructions are provided). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Oct 2026.