Cancer Oriented Understanding and Navigation Via Supportive and Educational Language Models (COUNSEL)

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To evaluate the impact of a LLM-based intervention on patients' perceived quality, breadth, and depth of cancer-related information following a radiation or surgical oncology consult. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To assess patient- and provider-perceived levels of shared decision making. II. To evaluate changes in patient-reported distress. III. To compare concordance between patient and provider perceptions of shared decision making. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. To identify qualitative themes and usage patterns in patient interactions with the LLM. II. To evaluate resource utilization based on information-seeking behavior logs collected during follow-up. OUTLINE: Participants will be randomized to an intervention or control arm. Participants will attend two teleconference meetings: the first within 2 days after an oncology consultation and a follow-up session approximately 21 days later. Participants will also complete study surveys and logs.