Earlier this year We CU launched Scratch, your AI-companion chatbot designed to answer your most frequently asked questions about urticaria (hives). As the only U.S.- based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering, educating, and improving the lives of people living with chronic urticaria (CU), we wanted to create a fast, reliable, and accurate chatbot that will be available to take questions around the clock. When you visit our website, Scratch will appear in the bottom right corner with a “click to chat” message inviting you to start a new conversation.
CU, or chronic hives, is a persistent skin condition where painful, itchy, raised welts can appear on an individual’s arms, feet, back, hands, and other parts of their body. It affects about one percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 1.7 million Americans. People living with this chronic skin condition report daily stressors, emotional distress, interrupted sleep, and decreased quality of life. If you’ve watched Kristen Willard, a co-founding member of We CU and the organization’s Executive Director, talk about her journey with CU, you’ll hear that delayed diagnosis, misinformation, and physical pain are common experiences for people in this community.
Why did we create Scratch?
We CU’s team, including our board of directors, understands how overwhelming life can feel when learning about chronic urticaria. Recently, international medical organizations released updated global guidelines for diagnosing and treating urticaria. These guidelines provide physicians around the world with clear, evidence-based recommendations for managing the condition. They also reflect advances in treatments, including the use of second-generation antihistamines and newer targeted therapies, like omalizumab, dupilumab, and remibrutinib.
The We CU team understands the need for accurate information is universal no matter the stage of your hives journey. That’s why we trained Scratch using 175 peer-reviewed articles to provide communities with the information they need to live healthier lives. If you’re newly diagnosed, have been living with urticaria for a while, or don’t have a diagnosis, you can count on the accuracy and timeliness of the information you get through Scratch.
What can I learn from Scratch?
Scratch can help community members, caregivers, and people curious about urticaria with everything from foundational fact-based information, stress management techniques, and practical tips for advocating for yourself before a doctor’s visit. Here are some examples of questions Scratch can answer:
- What is the difference between acute and chronic urticaria?
- How is chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) typically diagnosed, and what tests
are involved? - Are there any dietary changes that are evidence-based for reducing urticaria
flares? - I’ve read that hives can look different on darker skin. Is that true, and does it
affect diagnosis? - Can my feelings of anxiety and depression be related to my hives?
Additionally, Scratch can describe what a urticaria flare looks like and give general information about certain medications and when a physician might recommend them. Scratch is quick to call out common myths and misperceptions that someone seeking more information about urticaria might have heard and where research gaps exist, particularly around how patients of color might experience urticaria as they navigate the medical system. Scratch is aware that medical research has documented disparities in how many with CU, including women and patients of color, experience the U.S. medical system.
What Scratch can’t do
Scratch is not a doctor and he does not provide medical advice, diagnoses, or personalized treatment plans. Scratch provides this important disclaimer for everyone in every session.
We want to hear from you
Lastly, Scratch is highly empathetic and attuned to a user sharing their lived experiences with him. He does his best to validate and affirm the concerns in someone’s real life. Want to keep us honest? Head to our homepage and start talking with Scratch today. Whether Scratch helped you find the information you were looking for, or you noticed a gap in his responses, we want to hear from you. Share your experience with us directly at info@livingwithcu.org.