AI system: The study AI system will be used to provide diagnostic support during the clinical encounter, including structuring relevant clinical information, generating a clinical analysis, and suggesting candidate diagnoses for review by the treating physician.
Study summary
A multicentre randomised controlled trial evaluating whether a rare-disease diagnostic large language model can improve diagnostic quality, efficiency, and health-economic outcomes for physicians managing patients with suspected rare or diagnostically unresolved disease.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
0 Years
Max age
—
Healthy volunteers
No
Patient Inclusion Criteria:
* Any age. Legal guardian co-signs consent for minors or individuals lacking legal capacity.
* Diagnostically unresolved or suspected rare disease, with at least one prior complete clinical evaluation at a secondary-level or higher institution yielding no confirmed explanatory diagnosis.
* First presentation to the enrolling institution for the current condition, with no prior records in the institutional HIS or outpatient system.
* No prior genetic testing related to the current condition; no results or reports available.
* Written informed consent provided voluntarily by patient or legal guardian, with commitment and ability to complete structured follow-up.
Patient Exclusion Criteria:
* Confirmed diagnosis (clinical, pathological, or molecular) explaining the primary symptoms.
* Emergency presentation, critical illness, or any condition incompatible with trial participation.
* Neither patient nor legally authorised proxy able to complete follow-up.
* Concurrent enrollment in another interventional study with diagnostic accuracy or genetic testing yield as a primary endpoint.
* Prior use of another AI system has already yielded a confirmed diagnosis for the current condition.
Physician Inclusion Criteria
* Licensed physician in internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, general medicine, rare disease, or a related specialty.
* ≥2 years of clinical practice; competent to manage rare disease patients; stratified into junior or senior tier.
* Voluntary participation with written informed consent.
Physician Exclusion Criteria
* No longer in clinical practice, or unable to fulfill required outpatient duties during the study period.
* Unwilling to provide informed consent or to permit protocol-required collection of consultation and questionnaire data.
* Currently enrolled in another AI-assisted clinical workflow, or expected to be unable to comply with the procedures.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Overall Correct Diagnostic Yield — From the first visit to final reference diagnosis adjudication, an average of 8 weeks. The proportion of all randomised patients whose clinical diagnosis by the end of follow-up is concordant with the blinded-adjudicated final reference diagnosis determined by an independent committee.
Trial sites (13)
Facility
City
Region
Status
Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Beijing
China
Cangzhou Central Hospital
Cangzhou
China
Changchun Sacred Heart Hospital
Changchun
China
Dongguan People's Hospital
Dongguan
China
First People's Hospital of Foshan
Foshan
China
Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital
Guiyang
China
Jilin Central General Hospital
Jilin City
China
The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province
Kunming
China
Tianjin Children's Hospital
Tianjin
China
Tianshui 407 Hospital
Tianshui
China
Wuhai People's Hospital
Wuhai
China
Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital
Xining
China
Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital of Fujian Province
Zhangzhou
China
More Peking Union Medical College Hospital trials in China
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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