What worries people with multiple sclerosis in Russia? Semantic analysis of patient messages using artificial intelligence tools

Abstract

To study the needs of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) in Russia. The technologies of Big Data analysis and intelligent processing of unstructured information (semantic analysis of natural language texts), developed by Semantic Hub were used. Semantic Hub platform scans digital environment to connect to the sources of interest and to collect data of potential interest (i.e. texts generated by patients and their caregivers, in anonymized form). As the next step, each text is analyzed using natural language understanding technologies to build the knowledge base with aggregated data. The semantic analysis of natural language texts made it possible to describe virtual population of Russian patients with MS and their caregivers on the Web: age, gender, regions of residence, movements, key Web resources for getting information and communicating with each other, insights about medical care and the quality of life of patients with MS. In addition to doctors' recommendations, today the patient can get information from various sources, including other patients with MS. This trend requires attention of medical community: it is necessary to help patients get reliable information about the disease, and methods of therapy. Doctor-to-patient communication on the Web should be widely discussed to develop effective and ethical approaches.