Healthcare Chatbots: Benefits, Future, Use Cases, Development

Chatbot breakthrough in the 2020s? An ethical reflection on the trend of automated consultations in health care PMC

chatbot in healthcare

The systematic literature review and chatbot database search includes a few limitations. The literature review and chatbot search were all conducted by a single reviewer, which could have potentially introduced bias and limited findings. In addition, our review explored a broad range of health care topics, and some areas could have been elaborated upon and explored more deeply. Furthermore, only a limited number of studies chatbot in healthcare were included for each subtopic of chatbots for oncology apps because of the scarcity of studies addressing this topic. Future studies should consider refining the search strategy to identify other potentially relevant sources that may have been overlooked and assign multiple reviews to limit individual bias. This review article aims to report on the recent advances and current trends in chatbot technology in medicine.

The ways in which users could message the chatbot were either by choosing from a set of predefined options or freely typing text as in a typical messaging app. Similarly, one can see the rapid response to COVID-19 through the use of chatbots, reflecting both the practical requirements of using chatbots in triage and informational roles and the timeline of the pandemic. One of the authors screened the titles and abstracts of the studies identified through the database search, selecting the studies deemed to match the eligibility criteria. The second author then screened 50% of the same set of identified studies at random to validate the first author’s selection.

Such a system was proposed by Mathew et al [30] that identifies the symptoms, predicts the disease using a symptom–disease data set, and recommends a suitable treatment. Although this may seem as an attractive option for patients looking for a fast solution, computers are still prone to errors, and bypassing professional inspection may be an area of concern. Chatbots may also be an effective resource for patients who want to learn why a certain treatment is necessary. Madhu et al [31] proposed an interactive chatbot app that provides a list of available treatments for various diseases, including cancer. This system also informs the user of the composition and prescribed use of medications to help select the best course of action. The diagnosis and course of treatment for cancer are complex, so a more realistic system would be a chatbot used to connect users with appropriate specialists or resources.

Global Market for Healthcare Chatbot to total US$ 12.2 billion by 2034, expanding at a whopping 23.9% CAGR- FMI … – GlobeNewswire

Global Market for Healthcare Chatbot to total US$ 12.2 billion by 2034, expanding at a whopping 23.9% CAGR- FMI ….

Posted: Wed, 20 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

But remember, while ChatGPT is a convenient tool that boasts high levels of accuracy, it’s always advised to do background research when using it to produce important guidance like fitness and dietary advice. While ChatGPT shouldn’t be used to create definitive health and exercise guidance – especially for those with serious health conditions – this doesn’t mean its use should be capped for the purpose completely. This is according to a recent analysis from a medical journal that calls out the AI chatbot for not always reflecting standard medical guidelines in its exercise directions. Jessica Fikes, a sophomore at Seventy-First High School who also attended the classical middle school, spoke about her experience using the app, and I was very much dialed into her comments. I like the idea of the app but had my doubts that cool high-schoolers would “talk to the llama,” as the app’s hashtag encourages. Teachers and other staff are under more stress, too, Story said, adding the system is seeing more employees take advantage of counseling and related services that are part of the Employee Assistance Plan.

Physicians’ Perceptions of Health Care Chatbots in the Role of a Physician

In cases where individuals face geographical barriers or limited availability of doctors, chatbots bridge the gap by offering accessible support and guidance. Imagine a scenario where a patient requires prescription refills but is unable to visit the clinic physically due to various reasons such as distance or time constraints. Chatbots come to the rescue by offering an efficient solution through their user-friendly interfaces. Patients can request prescription refills directly through the chatbot app, saving valuable time and effort for both themselves and healthcare providers. This continuous monitoring allows healthcare providers to detect any deviations from normal values promptly.

Various examples of current chatbots provided below will illustrate their ability to tackle the triple aim of health care. The specific use case of chatbots in oncology with examples of actual products and proposed designs are outlined in Table 1. Chatbots must be designed with the user in mind, providing patients a seamless and intuitive experience. Healthcare providers can overcome this challenge by working with experienced UX designers and testing chatbots with diverse patients to ensure that they meet their needs and expectations.

No studies have been found to assess the effectiveness of chatbots for smoking cessation in terms of ethnic, racial, geographic, or socioeconomic status differences. Creating chatbots with prespecified answers is simple; however, the problem becomes more complex when answers are open. Bella, one of the most advanced text-based chatbots on the market advertised as a coach for adults, gets stuck when responses are not prompted [51].

Step-by-Step Process of Developing and Implementing Chatbots in Healthcare

However, in general, AI applications such as chatbots function as tools for ensuring that available information in the evidence base is properly considered. In conclusion, healthcare chatbots have emerged as a valuable tool in the healthcare industry, revolutionizing the way patients engage with healthcare providers. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, healthcare chatbots offer numerous benefits. They enable patients to access personalized care anytime and anywhere, leading to improved patient satisfaction.

Chatbots are now capable of understanding natural language processing, which allows users to interact with them in a more organic manner. Additionally, chatbots can now access electronic health records and other patient data to provide more personalized responses to patient queries. ChatGPT and similar chatbot-style artificial intelligence software may soon serve a critical frontline role in the healthcare industry. ChatGPT is a large language model using vast amounts of data to generate predictive text responses to user queries.

chatbot in healthcare

Chatbots can also be integrated into user’s device calendars to send reminders and updates about medical appointments. Conversational chatbots with different intelligence levels can understand the questions of the user and provide answers based on pre-defined labels in the training data. Chatbot algorithms are trained on massive healthcare data, including disease symptoms, diagnostics, markers, and available treatments. Public datasets are used to continuously train chatbots, such as COVIDx for COVID-19 diagnosis, and Wisconsin Breast Cancer Diagnosis (WBCD).

Chatbots: The Future of Healthcare

Medical chatbots might pose concerns about the privacy and security of sensitive patient data. For example, when a chatbot suggests a suitable recommendation, it makes patients feel genuinely cared for. Patients can use text, microphones, or cameras to get mental health assistance to engage with a clinical chatbot. AI chatbots in the healthcare industry are great at automating everyday responsibilities in the healthcare setting. They simulate human activities, helping people search for information and perform actions, which many healthcare organizations find useful. Many people believed that having the option to consult with a chatbot would encourage them to seek medical advice earlier—highlighting the critical role that chatbots could play in addressing sensitive health issues.

Furthermore, this rule requires that workforce members only have access to PHI as appropriate for their roles and job functions. Consequently, under the HIPAA Rule, every person involved in developing or managing your AI assistants that can access, handle, or store PHI at any given time must be HIPAA-compliant making it a must for healthcare app development related projects in general. Chatbots are revolutionizing social interactions on a large scale, with business owners, media companies, automobile industries, and customer service representatives employing these AI applications to ensure efficient communication with their clients. A drug bot answering questions about drug dosages and interactions should structure its responses for doctors and patients differently. Before designing a conversational pathway for an AI driven healthcare bot, one must first understand what makes a productive conversation. Healthcare chatbot development can be a real challenge for someone with no experience in the field.

From the emergence of the first chatbot, ELIZA, developed by Joseph Weizenbaum (1966), chatbots have been trying to ‘mimic human behaviour in a text-based conversation’ (Shum et al. 2018, p. 10; Abd-Alrazaq et al. 2020). Thus, their key feature is language and speech recognition, that is, natural language processing (NLP), which enables them to understand, to a certain extent, the language of the user (Gentner et al. 2020, p. 2). Chatbots drive cost savings in healthcare delivery, with experts estimating that cost savings by healthcare chatbots will reach $3.6 billion globally by 2022.

In healthcare technology, in particular, the handling of sensitive medical and financial data by AI tools necessitates stringent data protection measures. Furthermore, the algorithms used by these chatbots must be highly accurate to ensure they interpret queries correctly and perform the appropriate actions if patients and clinicians are expected to rely on the outcomes. Chatbots in healthcare also provide personalized reminders and address common inquiries, enhancing the patient experience and reducing administrative burden.

As we delve into the realm of conversational AI in healthcare, it becomes evident that these medical chatbot play a pivotal role in enhancing the overall patient experience. Beyond the conventional methods of interaction, the incorporation of chatbots in healthcare holds the promise of revolutionizing how patients access information, receive medical advice, and engage with healthcare professionals. Improved AI and natural language processing have the potential to revolutionize the industry, allowing patients to access personalized care anytime, anywhere.

chatbot in healthcare

Even after addressing these issues and establishing the safety or efficacy of chatbots, human elements in health care will not be replaceable. Therefore, chatbots have the potential to be integrated into clinical practice by working alongside health practitioners to reduce costs, refine workflow efficiencies, and improve patient outcomes. Other applications in pandemic support, global health, and education are yet to be fully explored. Chatbot is a timely topic applied in various fields, including medicine and health care, for human-like knowledge transfer and communication. Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, has been proven particularly applicable in health care, with the ability for complex dialog management and conversational flexibility. Implementing chatbots in healthcare requires a cultural shift, as many healthcare professionals may resist using new technologies.

Notably, people seem more likely to share sensitive information in conversation with chatbots than with another person [20]. Speaking with a chatbot and not a person is perceived in some cases to be a positive experience as chatbots are seen to be less “judgmental” [48]. Human-like interaction with chatbots seems to have a positive contribution to supporting health and well-being [27] and countering the effects of social exclusion through the provision of companionship and support [49]. However, in other domains of use, concerns over the accuracy of AI symptom checkers [22] framed the relationships with chatbot interfaces. The trustworthiness and accuracy of information were factors in people abandoning consultations with diagnostic chatbots [28], and there is a recognized need for clinical supervision of the AI algorithms [9]. The use of AI for symptom checking and triage at scale has now become the norm throughout much of the world, signaling a move away from human-centered health care [9] in a remarkably short period of time.

  • Most of the output was considered “difficult to read” by the researchers and were written at a college level, making them less accessible for those with lower levels of education.
  • Most apps allowed for a finite-state input, where the dialogue is led by the system and follows a predetermined algorithm.
  • Administrators in healthcare industry can handle various facets of hospital operations by easily accessing vital patient information through Zoho’s platform.
  • The ability of patients to be directed to urgent referral pathways through early warning signs has been a promising market.
  • If you’re on a wider well-being kick, we also recommend using these ChatGPT prompts to establish healthier patterns in 2024.

Mental health research has a continued interest over time, with COVID-19–related research showing strong recent interest as expected. Due to the small numbers of papers, percentages must be interpreted with caution and only indicate the presence of research in the area rather than an accurate distribution of research. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. LeadSquared’s CRM is an entirely HIPAA-compliant software that will integrate with your healthcare chatbot smoothly. Obviously, chatbots cannot replace therapists and physicians, but they can provide a trusted and unbiased go-to place for the patient around-the-clock. It also increases revenue as the reduction in the consultation periods and hospital waiting lines leads healthcare institutions to take in and manage more patients. It conducts basic activities like asking about the symptoms, recommending wellness programs, and tracking behavior or weight changes.

A key component of creating a successful health bot is creating a conversational flow that is easy to understand. Transitional phrases like “furthermore” and “moreover” can be used to build a smooth conversation between the user and the chatbot. In order to enable a seamless interchange of information about medical questions or symptoms, interactions should be natural and easy to use.

Physical, psychological, and behavioral improvements of underserved or vulnerable populations may even be possible through chatbots, as they are so readily accessible through common messaging platforms. Health promotion use, such as lifestyle coaching, healthy eating, and smoking cessation, has been one of the most common chatbots according to our search. In addition, chatbots could help save a significant amount of health care costs and resources. Newer therapeutic innovations have come with a heavy price tag, and out-of-pocket expenses have placed a significant strain on patients’ financial well-being [23]. With chatbots implemented in cancer care, consultations for minor health concerns may be avoided, which allows clinicians to spend more time with patients who need their attention the most. For example, the workflow can be streamlined by assisting physicians in administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, providing medical information, or locating clinics.

Use Cases of Healthcare Chatbots

In addition to collecting data and providing bookings, Health OnLine Medical Suggestions or HOLMES (Wipro, Inc) interacts with patients to support diagnosis, choose the proper treatment pathway, and provide prevention check-ups [44]. Although the use of chatbots in health care and cancer therapy has the potential to enhance clinician efficiency, reimbursement codes for practitioners are still lacking before universal implementation. In addition, studies will need to be conducted to validate the effectiveness of chatbots in streamlining workflow for different health care settings.

In the case of Omaolo, for example, it seems that it was used extensively for diagnosing conditions that were generally considered intimate, such as urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (Pynnönen et al. 2020, p. 24). This relieving of pressure on contact centres is especially important in the present COVID-19 situation (Dennis et al. 2020, p. 1727), thus making chatbots cost-effective. However, one of the key elements for bots to be trustworthy—that is, the ability to function effectively with a patient—‘is that people believe that they have expertise’ (Nordheim et al. 2019). A survey on Omaolo (Pynnönen et al. 2020, p. 25) concluded that users were more likely to be in compliance with and more trustworthy about HCP decisions. The overall functionality, dependability, and user experience of chatbots in the healthcare industry are improved by adding these extra steps to the development and deployment process. Through the adoption of a patient-centered technology strategy, healthcare providers can fully utilize medical chatbots to transform the way patients receive and receive care.

chatbot in healthcare

For example, IBM’s Watson for Oncology examines data from records and medical notes to generate an evidence-based treatment plan for oncologists [34]. Studies have shown that Watson for Oncology still cannot replace experts at this moment, as quite a few cases are not consistent with experts (approximately 73% concordant) [67,68]. Nonetheless, this could be an effective decision-making tool for cancer therapy to standardize treatments.

By collecting relevant information from users who may have been exposed to the virus, these bots assist in identifying potential hotspots and preventing further spread. Users can report their symptoms or any recent close contacts they may have had through the chatbot interface, enabling health authorities to take swift action. To illustrate further how beneficial chatbots can be in streamlining appointment scheduling in health systems, let’s consider a case study. In a busy medical practice, Dr. Smith’s team was overwhelmed with numerous phone calls and manual paperwork related to appointments in their health system.

For example, a Lown Institute analysis of Medicare data named the hospitals most likely to unnecessarily implant coronary stents, a procedure whose risks include infection, stroke and even kidney damage. If you Google the facility with the highest inappropriate rate, 53%, you’ll find cautionary information on the first page of the results. We are dedicated to providing cutting-edge healthcare software solutions that improve patient outcomes and streamline healthcare processes. The integration of medical chatbot with Electronic Health Records (EHR) ensures personalized responses.

Additionally, such bots also play an important role in providing counselling and social support to individuals who might suffer from conditions that may be stigmatized or have a shortage of skilled healthcare providers. Many of the apps reviewed were focused on mental health, as was seen in other reviews of health chatbots9,27,30,33. Healthcare chatbots are AI-powered virtual assistants that provide personalized support to patients and healthcare providers.

With this conversational AI, WHO can reach up to 1 billion people across the globe in their native languages via mobile devices at any time of the day. We built the chatbot as a progressive web app, rendering on desktop and mobile, that interacts with users, helping them identify their mental state, and recommending appropriate content. That chatbot helps customers maintain emotional health and improve their decision-making and goal-setting. Users add their emotions daily through chatbot interactions, answer a set of questions, and vote up or down on suggested articles, quotes, and other content. As long as your chatbot will be collecting PHI and sharing it with a covered entity, such as healthcare providers, insurance companies, and HMOs, it must be HIPAA-compliant.

While they improved efficiency by freeing up human resources from mundane tasks, they were quite limited in their capacity to understand and respond to complex patient inquiries. Their functionality revolved around a set of predefined rules, and they lacked the ability to learn from past interactions or provide personalized responses. As healthcare becomes increasingly complex, patients have more and more questions about their care, from understanding medical bills to managing chronic conditions. The need for a more sophisticated tool to handle these queries led to the evolution of chatbots from simple automated responders to query tools that can handle complex patient inquiries.

We argue that the implementation of chatbots amplifies the project of rationality and automation in clinical practice and alters traditional decision-making practices based on epistemic probability and prudence. This article contributes to the discussion on the ethical challenges posed by chatbots from the perspective of healthcare professional ethics. Most would assume that survivors of cancer would be more inclined to practice health protection behaviors with extra guidance from health professionals; however, the results have been surprising. Smoking accounts for at least 30% of all cancer deaths; however, up to 50% of survivors continue to smoke [88].

We expect that they will be able to assist patients in managing their health, from scheduling appointments to answering complex medical questions. This shift has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, as patients are now able to access personalized care at any time without the need for lengthy phone calls or office visits. In the early stages of their implementation, chatbots in healthcare were primarily used as basic customer service tools, offering pre-programmed responses to common queries.

Moreover, chatbots streamline administrative processes by automating appointment scheduling tasks, freeing up staff time for more critical responsibilities. Chatbots—software programs designed to interact in human-like conversation—are being applied increasingly to many aspects of our daily lives. Recent advances in the development and application of chatbot technologies and the rapid uptake of messenger platforms have fueled the explosion in chatbot use and development that has taken place since 2016 [3]. Chatbots are now found to be in use in business and e-commerce, customer service and support, financial services, law, education, government, and entertainment and increasingly across many aspects of health service provision [5]. Chatbots have the potential to address many of the current concerns regarding cancer care mentioned above.

chatbot in healthcare

Over 70% of physicians believe that chatbots cannot effectively care for all the patients’ needs, cannot display human emotion, cannot provide detailed treatment plans, and pose a risk if patients self-diagnose or do not fully comprehend their diagnosis. If the limitations of chatbots are better understood and mitigated, the fears of adopting this technology in health care may slowly subside. The Discussion section ends by exploring the challenges and questions for health care professionals, patients, and policy makers. Chatbots are now able to provide patients with treatment and medication information after diagnosis without having to directly contact a physician.

It can provide immediate attention from a doctor by setting appointments, especially during emergencies. With so many algorithms and tools around, knowing the different types of chatbots in healthcare is key. This will help you to choose the right tools or find the right experts to build a chat agent that suits your users’ needs. A thorough research of LLMs is recommended to avoid possible technical issues or lawsuits when implementing a new artificial intelligence chatbot.

chatbot in healthcare

Implement user feedback mechanisms to iteratively refine the chatbot based on insights gathered. By prioritizing NLP training, dynamic responses, and continuous learning, the chatbot interface minimizes the risk of misinformation and ensures accuracy. Infused with advanced AI capabilities, medical chatbot play a pivotal role in the initial assessment of symptoms. While not a substitute for professional diagnosis, this feature equips users with initial insights into their symptoms before seeking guidance from a healthcare professional. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the step-by-step process of developing and implementing medical chatbot, shedding light on their crucial role in improving patient engagement and healthcare accessibility.

So, it’s now time to put it to practice and show you the 4 top AI-powered chatbots in healthcare you can see today. Chatbots have the potential to transform the way patients understand their medical bills. AI and chatbots can help patients understand their bills by providing detailed explanations of charges, identifying potential errors, and offering guidance on payment options.

A number of these individuals require support after hospitalization or treatment periods. Maintaining autonomy and living in a self-sustaining way within their home environment is especially important for older populations [79]. Implementation of chatbots may address some of these concerns, such as reducing the burden on the health care system and supporting independent living. Cancer has become a major health crisis and is the second leading cause of death in the United States [18].

  • Regulatory standards have been developed to accommodate for rapid modifications and ensure the safety and effectiveness of AI technology, including chatbots.
  • It also assists healthcare providers by serving info to cancer patients and their families.
  • New screening biomarkers are also being discovered at a rapid speed, so continual integration and algorithm training are required.
  • Through virtual interactions, patients can easily consult with healthcare professionals without leaving their homes.
  • Standardized indicators of success between users and chatbots need to be implemented by regulatory agencies before adoption.
  • Chatbots used for psychological support hold great potential, as individuals are more comfortable disclosing personal information when no judgments are formed, even if users could still discriminate their responses from that of humans [82,85].

Using a combination of data-driven natural language processing with knowledge-driven diagnostics, this chatbot interviews the patient, understands their chief complaints, and submits reports to physicians for further analysis [43]. Similarly, Sense.ly (Sense.ly, Inc) acts as a web-based nurse to assist in monitoring appointments, managing patients’ conditions, and suggesting therapies. Another chatbot that reduces the burden on clinicians and decreases wait time is Careskore (CareShore, Inc), which tracks vitals and anticipates the need for hospital admissions [42]. Chatbots have also been proposed to autonomize patient encounters through several advanced eHealth services.

chatbot in healthcare

With psychiatric disorders affecting at least 35% of patients with cancer, comprehensive cancer care now includes psychosocial support to reduce distress and foster a better quality of life [80]. The first chatbot was designed for individuals with psychological issues [9]; however, they continue to be used for emotional support and psychiatric counseling with their ability to express sympathy and empathy [81]. Health-based chatbots delivered through mobile apps, such as Woebot (Woebot Health, Inc), Youper (Youper, Inc), Wysa (Wysa, Ltd), Replika (Luka, Inc), Unmind (Unmind, Inc), and Shim (Shim, Inc), offer daily emotional support and mental health tracking [26].

Similarly, several health conditions are often connected with experiences of societal stigma, including diabetes, eating disorders, human immunodeficiency virus, and sexually transmitted infections. These conditions frequently trigger public misconceptions, discriminatory attitudes, and feelings of societal stigmatization. Many patients dealing with various common health issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, low libido, and discomfort during sexual activity, often experience feelings of embarrassment when discussing their health. Distribution of included publications across application domains and publication year.

The chatbot’s personalized suggestions are based on algorithms and refined based on the user’s past responses. The removal of options may slowly reduce the patient’s awareness of alternatives and interfere with free choice [100]. Hesitancy from physicians and poor adoption by patients is a major barrier to overcome, which could be explained by many of the factors discussed in this section. A cross-sectional web-based survey of 100 practicing physicians gathered the perceptions of chatbots in health care [6]. Although a wide variety of beneficial aspects were reported (ie, management of health and administration), an equal number of concerns were present.