AI-assisted personalized legacy program — Reflections: My Story
Official title: Feasibility and Acceptability of AI Assisted Personalized Legacy Program (Reflections: My Story) for Patients With Serious Illness
Run by Mayo Clinic · NCT07009210 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This AI-assisted personalized legacy program tries to help adults with serious illness reflect on their life and create a keepsake document to share with loved ones.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Mayo Clinic Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Phoenix, Arizona and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 11, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | June 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | June 17, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07009210 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (age ≥18) with a serious illness who are English-fluent, can provide informed consent, and can complete questionnaires with or without assistance are the intended participants.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with active delirium, advanced dementia, untreated severe psychiatric disorders (such as untreated schizophrenia or bipolar disorder), recent psychiatric hospitalization, or those already receiving concurrent legacy services are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a multi-site, minimal-risk pilot conducted at Mayo Clinic to test feasibility and acceptability of a brief, individualized psychotherapy called the AI Assisted Personalized Legacy Program. Patients meet with a trained facilitator to reflect on life memories and values while sessions are recorded and transcribed. The interventionist and patient work together to edit the transcript into a polished legacy document that the patient can keep and share. The pilot will document recruitment, delivery, participant feedback, and preliminary signals of emotional or existential benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce existential and psycho-emotional distress and improve patient and family experience by producing a meaningful, shareable legacy document.
How similar studies have gone: Non-AI life-review and legacy interventions in palliative care have shown promising reductions in existential distress and improved family satisfaction, but AI-assisted personalized legacy programs are relatively novel and less well tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Participant population: Adults with serious illness - defined as a health condition that carries a high risk of mortality Inclusion Criteria for patients: 1. Age ≥18 years 2. English fluency 3. Provide informed consent 4. Ability to complete questionnaire(s) by themselves or with assistance Exclusion Criteria: 1. Other psychological co-morbidities such as untreated schizophrenia, bipolar disease 2. Recent suicide attempt or psychiatric illness severe enough that hospitalization has been necessary in last 6 months 3. Active delirium 4. Advanced dementia 5. Participation in concurrent legacy offerings through the palliative care clinic
Where it's running
-
Mayo Clinic
Phoenix, Arizona, United States Recruiting -
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Deirdre Pachman, MD — Mayo Clinic in Rochester
- Study coordinator: Melissa Felt
- Email: felt.melissa@mayo.edu
- Phone: 507-255-4162
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Comparing consultative versus collaborative ways patients, clinicians, and the public partner with health teams.
This project will test whether a consultative or a collaborative way of involving patients, care partners, clinicians, and community members leads to better engagement and trust when they work with research teams on qualitative projects about pediatric mental health, cancer screening, and serious illness.
-
Using LSD to help relieve distress in terminally ill patients
This study is testing if LSD can help reduce pain, anxiety, and depression in people who are terminally ill and improve their overall quality of life.
-
What the Mayo Clinic is learning from blood clot tests in allergic reactions
This study tests whether real-time blood clotting markers can help understand and predict the severity of allergic reactions and anaphylaxis in patients 12 and older.
-
Atrial Arrhythmia AI-Powered Post-Ablation Predictor Pilot
This pilot study tests whether AI models using non-invasive heart-mapping data can predict how patients with atrial arrhythmias respond after ablation.
-
A Community Approach to Boost Cervical Cancer Screening for Hispanic and East African Immigrant Women
The study tests a community-based program that offers self-collection HPV tests and information to Hispanic and East African immigrant women to see if screening rates improve.
-
Point-of-care AI spectroscopy test to triage vulvar lesions
This pilot study tests whether a handheld AI-powered spectroscopy device can help triage vulvar lesions in adults who are planning surgical removal.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.