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Alexa Voice Assistant Provides Access to Validated MM Health Information

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Multiple myeloma (MM) is a complex disease that remains largely incurable with significant burden on patients’ quality of life related to organ damage and treatment-related toxicities. The complexity of the disease, diagnostic approaches, and treatment options can be overwhelming to patients. Often, patients and caregivers are unable to address all their questions directly with a healthcare professional, and some may be concerned about asking questions that may be perceived as uninformed. In addition, brochures and other online materials may not be accessible to patients, and it may be difficult for older patients to navigate the Internet and choose reliable sources. Voice assistants may play an important role in bridging the gap between education needs and access to information. To address this need, the first Amazon Alexa voice assistant skill (similar to an app) for MM was developed, in collaboration with MM patient organizations and healthcare practitioners, to educate patients with MM and their families.

Baertsch and colleagues discussed the development, content, and functionality of the voice assistant skill for patients with MM in Germany and report data on usage and initial learnings. MM patient organizations and medical experts in Germany participated in a co-creation workshop organized by Takeda Pharma Vertrieb GmbH & Co. The workshop was convened to discuss the development and content of the Amazon Alexa skill in MM. Patient information on disease, diagnostics and follow-up tests, and therapy was presented in a question-and-answer format, reviewed by experts, and programmed into the skill. The skill recognized various terms that have the same intent, used patient-friendly language, and did not include information on specific medications. Additional features included a search function for finding nearby patient support groups and multiple-choice questions as part of an interactive quiz functionality.

The Alexa skill Multiple Myeloma launched in September 2019. It was available at no cost to patients from September 2019 to March 2022. Usage data was collected retrospectively and included total skill installations, number of sessions and inquiries, and the most popular topics. In addition, a patient survey was conducted via the Takeda Oncology website to collect data on user experience; results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

A total of 141 users installed the skill from September 2019 to July 2021. In a 12-month time frame, between July 2020 and July 2021, 189 skill sessions that included 797 inquiries were retrospectively analyzed. The most popular skill topics during this time were patient support groups (7.3%), information on MM (6.6%), and the weekly quiz (5.4%). The average user retention rate in the time frame decreased from 100% at its first use to 18.3% in week 1, 12.9% in week 2, and 1.3% by week 5. Survey information was collected from 24 participants and included answers from patients, patient representatives, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and others. Over half of the participants had used voice assistants for other purposes, and 46% of participants would recommend the Amazon Alexa skill. Users who had not previously used voice assistants noted that data protection concerns and lack of need were reasons for not using a voice assistant in general.

Although there appears to be room for further optimization, the Amazon Alexa skill can be used as a patient-friendly, expert-reviewed means of obtaining information on medical terms, connecting patients with support groups, and providing a quiz. Future users would benefit from new content and additional functionalities.

Source

Baertsch M, Decker S, Probst L, et al. Convenient access to expert-reviewed health information via an Alexa voice assistant skill for patients with multiple myeloma: development study. JMIR Cancer. June 2022;8(2):e35500.

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