A Timelapse Assessment of Education on Heavily Pretreated Multiple Myeloma: Clinician Perceptions and Patient Experiences
Authors: Ackbarali Tariqa , Faiman Beth M. , Suvannasankha Attaya , Alsina Melissa , Hartley-Brown Monique A. , Lee Hans C. 
Published: December 2024

BACKGROUND: There is a documented need for novel multiple myeloma (MM) treatments, particularly for patients with relapsing MM after doublet or triplet therapy. The latest research has led to new treatment options that require clinicians to consider numerous factors to maximize benefits for patients, these include bispecific antibodies and CAR T-cell therapies. However, during treatment selection for MM, discrepancies often emerge between the preferences of physicians and those of patients and their caregivers. To assess these discrepancies and examine patient experiences, two tethered educational initiatives engaging patients/caregivers and clinicians were implemented 6 months apart.

METHODS: Tethered initiatives consist of patient/caregiver and clinician education that are thematically aligned in content. Educational activities were broadcast in Q3 2023 and Q1 2024 with similar assessments at pre-activity, in-session polling, immediately post-activity, and post-program evaluation. These activities remain available for patients/caregivers and clinicians on Medlive.com for one year post-activity. Patient interviews were conducted to better understand the patient experience with heavily pretreated MM. The quantitative data from aligned questions and the qualitative data will be discussed and shared.

RESULTS: As of August 1st 2024, more than 6,500 clinician learners and approximately 1,300 patients/caregivers have engaged with the educational activities. Of the clinician learners, 97% practiced in the community setting. Tethered questions were related to confidence in discussion treatment goals, reporting adverse events, referrals to a multiple myeloma specialty center, and likelihood of clinical trial consideration. CME questions in both clinician programs were case-based, evaluated knowledge of the mechanism of action for bispecific antibodies, and patient counseling on clinical trial data. Similar baseline and impact data was seen on pre-post questions even as they were assessed 6 months apart, e.g. baseline knowledge of bispecific antibody mechanism remaining comparable from Q3 2023 (40%) to Q1 2024 (47%). Challenges in integrating new therapies were assessed with management of serious adverse events (34%) emerging as the greatest challenge for bispecific antibodies and requirements to send patients outside of current treatment centers (30%, 29%) as the top challenges for both bispecific antibodies and CAR T-cell therapy, respectively. Patient interviews (n=7) revealed wide variations in experience categorized by 6 major themes including diagnostic journey, initial treatment, decision-making, treatment navigation, patient education, and self-advocacy. Insights from these interviews will be shared.

CONCLUSIONS: The timelapse in education for complex and new treatment regimens for heavily pretreated MM demonstrates a slow uptake of clinical information that can facilitate treatment decisions. Alignments and misalignments in patient vs clinician perceptions present an opportunity for patient-centered education. Patient interviews provided a snapshot of the heterogeneity of experiences across the continuum of care which can further inform point-of-care and patient journey improvements.

The Q3 2023 tethered activity was supported by an independent medical education grant from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

The Q1 2024 tethered activity was supported by an educational grant from Bristol Myers Squibb and Janssen Biotech, Inc.