‘AI hesitancy’ is hindering the potential of medical chatbots, study finds

Despite chatbots’ abilities to provide education and promote overall health, patients are still somewhat reluctant to interact with this form of artificial intelligence in a healthcare setting, according to a study published Aug. 21 in Digital Health.

Advertisement

Study participants were interviewed about their understanding of chatbots, their concerns about the use of AI in healthcare and the situations in which they would be willing to use a health chatbot. Overall, most participants lacked a thorough understanding of the uses and abilities of chatbots, were wary of the bots’ accuracy and security in handling health information and were reluctant to trade in the convenience of a bot for a lack of human empathy.

Despite this “AI hesitancy,” however, the researchers concluded that there is still room for chatbots in healthcare, as long as they are developed and deployed with the patient experience in mind, undergoing “rigorous piloting that can address patients’ concerns and remove any potential barriers” and being offered only as a “supplementary service rather than a replacement of the professional health force.”

More articles on AI:
Mayo Clinic researchers develop AI to measure physiological health from ECG
Physician viewpoint: AI needs a ‘Turing test’ to determine medical feasibility
AdventHealth launches largest AI-enabled Mission Control command center in US

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in Health IT

Advertisement

Comments are closed.