Patients may be more honest with a computer about their medical history than they would be with a physician, according to a study in Computers in Human Behavior.
In the study, researchers tested their hypothesis that the reluctance patients often feel to discuss sensitive physical or mental health issues could be alleviated by replacing the physician with a virtual interviewer.
To test their theory, the researchers examined how a study group of patients interacted with a virtual interviewer they believed to be controlled by a human, and how they interacted with a virtual interviewer they believed to be automated.
As the researchers expected, participants who believed they were just telling their medical history to a computer, not a person, reported less fear around disclosing information, had lower impression management and displayed their emotions more openly. Observers also noted these participants seemed more willing to share information as compared with the participants who were told their virtual interviewer was controlled by a person.
The researchers concluded using virtual interviewers with the perception of automation could lead to more truthful patients.
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