Actively Recruiting
Digital Voice Analysis as a Measure of Frailty and Distress A Feasibility Study (DIVAN)
Led by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · Updated on 2025-01-17
100
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating whether digital voice analysis can identify measurable changes in audio signals that reflect frailty and emotional distress in patients with cancer. Frailty, a common syndrome especially among older adults, increases risks such as falls, disability, hospitalization, and death. Detecting frailty and distress early is important for improving patient care and treatment outcomes. This study will gather voice recordings alongside conventional assessments to explore the potential relationship between voice features and patient wellbeing over time. Participants will use a tablet to describe images freely while their speech is recorded with synchronized audio and video. These recordings will be analyzed for various voice parameters like frequency, voice quality, and fluency. Alongside voice data, participants will complete the G8 questionnaire to assess frailty and the Distress Thermometer to measure psychological distress. The study includes two groups of cancer patients from a palliative care center and a mid-size cancer center, with multiple recording sessions over several weeks. Participants will be followed for up to 16 weeks, during which changes in specific voice features such as fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, voice strength, and speech duration will be tracked and compared to clinical assessments. The study aims to conduct detailed analyses of how voice characteristics vary with frailty and distress both between different patients and within the same patient over time. Data collection includes clinical evaluations and questionnaires, with researchers monitoring these changes to identify potential markers for future larger studies.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Digital Voice Analysis as a Measure of Frailty and Distress
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Active cancer or haemato-oncological malignancy
- Adults (≥ 18 years)
- Ability to understand, speak and read German language fluently
- Ability to provide written consent
- Sufficient or corrected vision to see the images
- Sufficient auditory comprehension for participation in the study based on the therapist's clinical opinion
- Ability to concentrate for 20-30 minutes based on the investigator's clinical opinion
- Signed informed consent to the study
You will not qualify if you...
- Aphonia, dysphonia or other obvious voice alterations of patient's voice
- Life-expectancy shorter ≤ 14 days as judged by a physician or nurse via "surprise question"
- Breathlessness whilst speaking
- Cognitive impairment as judged by physician or Mini-Cog in the G8 screening tool
- Severe physical, emotional or existential suffering because of which the enrollment and participation in the study would result in patient burden, as judged by the treating physicians and their multiprofessional team members
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Up to 16 weeks
Participants provide multiple digital voice samples alongside completing frailty and distress assessments over time to analyze changes in their wellbeing.
Multiple visits over the 16-week period to record speech and complete questionnaires
Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
Palliativzentrum Hildegard, Basel
Basel, Switzerland, 4002
Actively Recruiting
2
Kantonsspital Baselland, Klinik für Onkologie, Hämatologie und Immuntherapie
Liestal, Switzerland, 4410
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
M
Marcus Vetter, PD Dr. med.
J
Jan Gärtner, Prof. Dr. med.
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
Similar Trials
Frequently Asked Questions
Have more questions? Get in touch with our team for quick support
Not the Right Trial for You?
Explore thousands of other clinical trials that might be a better match.
Sign up to get personalized trial recommendations delivered to your inbox.
Already have an account? Log in here