Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients are living longer. However, symptom burden remains a signi cant issue.Technology-based interventions may be a solution. The purpose of this study was to test a virtual assistant for addressing symptoms in MBC using the Amazon Echo Show with Alexa.
MethodsIn this partial crossover randomized trial, the immediate treatment group was exposed to the intervention, called Nurse AMIE (Addressing Metastatic Individuals Everyday) for six months. The comparison group was unexposed for the rst 3 months, then exposed for 3 months. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) during the rst 3 months allowed for evaluation of intervention effects on symptoms and function. The partial crossover maximized exposure to the intervention for evaluation of feasibility, usability, and satisfaction. RCT outcome data were collected at baseline and 3 months. Feasibility, usability, and satisfaction data were collected throughout the rst 3 months of intervention exposure.
ResultsForty-two MBC patients were randomized (1:1). Participants were 53±11 years old and 4±7 years from diagnosis with metastatic disease. No signi cant effects on psychosocial distress, pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue (vitality), quality of life, or chair stands were noted, despite high levels of acceptability (51%), feasibility (65%), and satisfaction (70%).
ConclusionA high level of participant acceptability, feasibility, usability, and satisfaction all suggest further research on this platform is warranted. The lack of statistically signi cant effects on symptoms, quality of life, and function may be the result of small sample size.