Project title
Lung Cancer patients with Low health literacy: Explainable generative AI for shaRed decision-making: the CLEAR-study
Project description
Iris Walraven is focused on improving the decision-making process for lung cancer patients through the use of artificial intelligence. As part of her UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship, she is working on a project aimed at making AI-driven treatment recommendations more understandable and accessible, particularly for patients with low health literacy.
In her work, Walraven seeks to bridge the gap between advanced medical technology and the needs of patients, ensuring that AI tools can communicate complex information in a way that is clear and relevant to each individual’s situation. She places a strong emphasis on considering patients’ perspectives and involving them in the process, making sure that their voices are heard when it comes to treatment decisions.
A key aspect of her approach is to work together with patients to create simple, relatable explanations to understand the complex medical information. For those who find traditional medical language and the AI-driven treatment recommendations difficult to understand, Iris aims to create easy-to-follow descriptions that break down complex concepts into simpler terms. This method ensures that patients can better grasp their treatment options and feel more confident in making informed decisions about their care.
Through this project, Iris hopes to empower lung cancer patients by providing them with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate their treatment options with clarity. By making AI recommendations more accessible and human-centered, she aims to improve not only the understanding of treatment choices but also the overall patient experience. Her ultimate goal is to create a system where technology serves to enhance, rather than overwhelm, the decision-making process for those facing serious health challenges.
Selected publications
- Patient-reported symptom monitoring: using (big) data to improve supportive care at the macro-, meso-, and micro-levels – Yan Wang, Matthew J Allsop, Joel B Epstein, Doris Howell, Bernardo L Rapoport, Penelope Schofield, Ysabella Van Sebille, Melissa S Y Thong, Iris Walraven, (…). 2024,
- Moving beyond barriers: a mixed-method study to develop evidence-based strategies to improve implementation of PROMs in clinical oncology care – Boomstra, E; Walraven, I; (…); de Ligt, KM. 2025.
- Using a modified Delphi procedure to select a PRO-CTCAE-based subset for patient-reported symptomatic toxicity monitoring in rectal cancer patients – Geurts, YM; Peters, F; (…); Walraven, I. 2024.
- Quality of life after patient-initiated vs physician-initiated response to symptom monitoring: the SYMPRO-Lung trial – Nicole E Billingy, Vashti N M F Tromp, Neil K Aaronson, Rianne J A Hoek, (…) Iris Walraven; SYMPRO-Lung Consortium. 2023.
