Effectiveness of An Artificial Intelligence-based Dietary Care System for Distress From Altered Bowel Function and Quality of Life in Rectal Cancer Patients With Low Anterior Resection Syndrome

Patients with rectal cancer complicated by low anterior resection syndrome who undergo anal-preserving surgery may experience severe distress in daily life due to changes in bowel function, thus requiring significant post-discharge care support from healthcare professionals. This study is a multicenter, non-blinded randomized controlled trial. One hundred patients with rectal cancer complicated by low anterior resection syndrome are planned to be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio from the colorectal surgery outpatient clinics of National Taiwan University Hospital, its Cancer Center, and its Yunlin Branch. They will be divided into a control group receiving routine dietary education and an experimental group receiving both routine dietary education and the use of an artificial intelligence-based dietary care system application. The artificial intelligence-based dietary care system application will be used for approximately six months. Three questionnaires will be administered at one month post-surgery (before intervention), three months post-surgery, and six months post-surgery. The questionnaires will include: a demographic data sheet, a low anterior resection syndrome score, distress inventory from altered bowel functioning, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-30 Scale, to verify the effectiveness of the artificial intelligence-based dietary care system application in improving bowel disturbance and quality of life in patients with rectal cancer complicated by low anterior resection syndrome.