A WeChat-based, expert knowledge-constrained artificial intelligence health education intervention for patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Perioperative health education is essential for patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, but conventional approaches are often limited by time, workload, continuity, and personalization. Artificial intelligence (AI) may offer a more accessible and interactive approach to patient education. This trial aims to evaluate whether a WeChat-based, expert knowledge-constrained AI health education system can improve anxiety and other patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

This is a single-center, open-label, parallel-group randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. A total of 120 eligible patients will be recruited from the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Chengdu Third People's Hospital and randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The control group will receive usual perioperative care and conventional health education, while the intervention group will additionally receive a WeChat-based AI-supported health education intervention for 3 months. The primary outcome is anxiety measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety subscale. Secondary outcomes include depression, perceived social support, self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, and eHealth literacy. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, discharge, 3 months, and 6 months. Analyses will primarily follow the intention-to-treat principle.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study is a low-risk behavioral intervention trial. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and other academic channels. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee of Chengdu Third People's Hospital (Ethics No: 2026-S-69). The clinical trial is registered under ChiCTR2600122411, with registration completed on April 2026.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2600122411.