LiveHelp
Mary Anne Bright
National Cancer Institute, Cancer Information Service

LiveHelp - Using Instant Messaging to Answer Internet Inquiries in NCI’s Cancer Information Service

LiveHelp – Instant Messaging

• Pilot initiated by the Office of Communications in 2000
• Goal: to help users "navigate" NCI Web site
• Confidential service
• Staffed by trained cancer information specialists who are knowledgeable about NCI information, publications, Web sites, as well as other information about cancer and cancer related resources.

LiveHelp: Beta Test

October 2000

Staff

Publications Ordering Specialists
Cancer.gov Search Service Staff

Icon location on NCI Web sites

Publications Locator
CancerLit
Cancer.gov Search Page

Results

Users expected more than navigational help
They wanted personalized information

LiveHelp: CIS Regional Offices

January 2001

Regional CIS Offices - Beta Testing

Mid-West (Michigan)
Heartland (Kansas)

Training provided by NCI/OC Technical Staff

• Web sites
• Technology
• Communication

Cancer Information Service Regions

Two Regions - One for each Telephone Hub

LiveHelp: The National Perspective

• Continuation of Training and Beta Testing
• LiveHelp made available to the public – "friends and associates" to test various scenarios
• Icons on NCI Web Sites - Publications Locator, CancerTrials, Cancer.gov, and CIS Web site
• Hours of operation 12 p.m.- 4 p.m. Eastern Time

Live Help: Regional Perspective

• Training – weekly
• Communication between two CIS Regions
• Quality assurance via transcript review
• Technical problem solving and documentation
• Supportal – "monitoring" system performance

LiveHelp: Preliminary Results

• Subjects of Inquiry: wide variety, treatment and clinical trials
• Primary Cancer Site: wide variety with some emphasis on rarer types
• Type of Caller: friends, family, health professionals, researchers and a significant number of international users

You: I have stage 3 ovarian and am in remission. My sister saw on the news today a IM862 drug that is supposed to keep the cancer from recurring. What do you know about this?

NCI Information Specialist: We have information on IM862 on the CancerTrials website. Have you seen that? I can send you that link. Click on it to see the information that answers your question.

Phone Service and IM Compared

Similarities

• Use of same resources/similar policies
• Quality measures
• Importance of needs assessment/querying for background
• Assessing information needs and user’s understanding
• Responses must be organized, concise and responsive to the questions offered

Phone Service and IM Compared

Differences

• Excellent/rapid keyboarding and computer skills
• Sessions more detached – cannot hear how the user is feeling
• Increased international users – spelling, language sometimes an issue
• Quality Assurance much more difficult
• Instant command of all relevant resources
• Instant isn’t so "instant" – sessions can be quite long

User Comments/Feedback

In general – overwhelmingly positive about the service

"I have surfed and surfed to find the information I required to no avail…within 8-10 minutes with your service I had exactly the information that I was looking for. Kudos to such a wonderful service … Thank you again"

"This is a very good idea…especially useful to people like me who have no idea at all about cancer treatments and their effect…fast response must be commended…do keep it up, Cheers."

" I certainly received the help I needed…thank you so much for this service ..it will be helpful to many desperate people."

CIS Facts and Figures 2001 – Over 1.9 requests through multiple access points

• Total Internet 1,401,410
  • [Web user sessions 1,392,133]
  • [Email 5,323]
  • [Live Help user sessions 3,954 from April through December 2001]
• Telephone 332,786
• Publication Orders Filled 143,745
• Partnership Program Contacts 10,001
• Mail 7,970
• Fax 6,943

Current Status:

• Hours extended to respond to demand – Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
• Expand to third CIS office – California
• Explore improved technology/vendor

Future Plans:

• Live Help icon on additional NCI Web Sites
• Smoking specific IM counseling/help
• Guided voice over IP
• Directing "callers" browser

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