Better Communication, Better Care Using SICG Assistant Based on Artificial Intelligence

The project 'Better Communication, Better Care' has as its main objective to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation of the 'Guide to conversation in serious illness (SICG)' by means of a significant reduction in anxiety and depression index in patients with serious illness and their families. Additionally, it aims to explore the perceived utility of this guide from the perspective of patients, families, and healthcare professionals involved in Palliative Care. Another important objective is to assess the effectiveness of the training program to improve communicative competencies of healthcare professionals in real clinical contexts. Furthermore, the project is structured around a pragmatic randomized clinical trial by clusters, where healthcare professionals will be randomized into intervention and control groups, with patients being the unit of analysis. In parallel, a feasibility and usability study of the mobile application and virtual assistant that will support the implementation of the guide will be conducted, evaluating parameters such as learning facility, satisfaction, efficiency, and errors through validated instruments. Finally, a cost-benefit analysis will be carried out to determine the economic efficiency of the program in terms of resource optimization and improvement in care quality.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18-80 years. * Diagnosis of a serious illness, defined as an illness carrying a high risk of mortality that negatively impacts quality of life or daily functioning, and that typically causes significant emotional distress in caregivers. * Karnofsky Performance Status ≥ 50 or Performance Status ≤ 2 or Palliative Performance Scale ≥ 50. * Spanish as native/fluent language, sufficient to complete the study questionnaires. * Cared for by an HCP enrolled in the study (intervention or control arm). * Able and willing to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Cognitive or perceptual impairment that prevents reliable completion of the study questionnaires. * Inability to communicate in Spanish to the level required by the assessment instruments. * Any condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes participation unsafe or unfeasible (e.g., clinical instability incompatible with follow-up).