P-135: Evaluation of the support and knowledge provided by the chatbot (virtual conversation agent) Vik Multiple Myeloma in the management of the disease

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Multiple myeloma is a bone marrow cancer that affects more than 5,000 new patients each year in France [1] and requires individualized care for each patient. Faced with questions that patients and their relatives may have about the management of the disease, the Vik multiple myeloma (MM) chatbot has been created to accompany them throughout their care. This virtual companion is a mobile application that mimics a natural conversation thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI). <h3>Method</h3> A survey was conducted among adult users of Vik MM between March and May 2021. First, the socio-demographic and medical characteristics of the users were collected, then their knowledge was assessed through 10 different questions about the disease (diagnosis, symptoms, treatments, etc.). The last section allowed the evaluation of the users' satisfaction with Vik MM in terms of help, support, and reassurance. Comparative analyses were performed with parametric tests (chi-squared). <h3>Results</h3> The 154 respondents to the survey had a median age of 65 years, with an equal distribution of men and women. Concerning the knowledge of the users on multiple myeloma, 87% of them indicated that Vik MM helped them to better understand the disease. This increase in knowledge was observed in various user profiles, with more or less history with the disease. 76% of the users who had been diagnosed more than 3 years ago declared that they had a better understanding of multiple myeloma thanks to Vik MM. This gain in knowledge linked to content sharing on the disease could be observed as early as 14 days on Vik MM (77% of correct answers vs. 58% for new users, p-value <1%). The users were therefore clearly more confident about their answers (94% vs. 62% among new users, p-value <0.1%). Moreover, sharing content on multiple myeloma allowed 65% of Vik MM users to make less demands to their hematologist. Despite a relatively low use of digital tools in the management of their disease (73% did not use them or used them only occasionally), users expressed a real appreciation for Vik MM. Indeed, 92% of them indicated that they were satisfied with it and 81% found it comforting. Moreover, 74% of the users considered that Vik MM helped them to make better decisions. <h3>Conclusion</h3> In a population that is not oriented towards digital health tools, Vik Multiple Myeloma has allowed users to educate themselves and gain significant confidence about their disease after only 14 days spent on the application. Vik multiple myeloma also provided them with a significant moral support in the context of a disease that has a heavy burden on their daily life.