10 uses of Medical Chatbots and AI based virtual assistants

The word chatbot is a short form for a chatting robot. Chatbots although derived from the words chat + bot can nowadays talk to us imitating human conversations. Popular examples include SIRI by Apple, Alexa by amazon and the google assistant in all android phones.

These chatbots are run by conversational AI based algorithms. These chatbots use techniques like natural language processing and natural language generation to be able to understand and respond to commands by users in a natural conversation language used by humans instead of a typical software dependant drop down or option selection menu.

These days chatbots are getting better and better at understanding natural conversational language, sentiment analysis, command execution and responding a more human and empathic way.

The main function or purpose of a chatbot is to talk to humans in a natural conversational manner and a) either give relevant advice b) give relevant answers/info or c) execute a command or action as ordered by the human to the bot. Most chatbots today will be doing one of the 3 things. While popular chatbots like Alexa and google assistant are to give general search info or execute commands that run your household or security appliances , medical chatbots are something entirely different and hold a very significant and important role in the coming decade.

A Medical Chatbots is one that can take in user’s messages about their health issues and respond accordingly to either provide answers, info or other needed advice as well as execute such related commands like booking appointments or reminding on medication compliance.

Some important use cases of Medical chatbots can be:

1. Hospital OPD: In the waiting area of an OPD, a chatbot can be used to do an initial patient interview and gather all their complaints and symptoms in detail, and then, share it with the doctor sitting inside, thoroughly, in a more Presentable manner, before actually seeing the patient.

The chatbot can also show suggestions and 2nd opinions to the doctor on the upcoming case regarding possible diagnosis, investigations and evidence based, data driven management decisions.

This helps in better ‘listening’ of patient problems, more thoroughly. Patients feel heard, or that everything they could or should have told, has been told.

Doctors feel confident that they have a more elaborate history and expert suggestions from an AI to help then make more confident and more evidence based decisions. This is a win win symbiotic relationship between humans and AI.

2. Reception systems at Clinics/ Hospitals: At the reception of big hospitals, it is a common problem of patients finding no one to guide them, the help desk is already full, and they don’t know based on their symptoms, which specialist should they be visiting. A human receptionist is costly, sometimes unreliable and sometimes untrained and prone to making mistakes. Also you cannot hire more than a limited number, while a chatbot can answer all common queries. She can take all their complaints and tell them which doctor or specialist is best suited to handle their case. Also she can answer as many people as needed, all you need is to install 1 more tablet, at the reception and she will work 24x7 in your service.

3. At Home, a personal & private virtual assistant: Many of us have faced this, someone gets sick at home, we don’t know what’s wrong, or what to do next. Is it something casual that can be managed at home or is it something that needs a serious and urgent intervention without delay. All these confusions lead to misinformation, delay and worst case, visiting quacks and unlicensed practitioners for help and advice.

All these problems can be solved immediately using AI based expert chatbots and personal virtual assistants. You can share your symptoms with the chatbot and they can do a complete evaluation of your symptoms and give you a perfect and genuine timely advice. The advice may be to go to a , say ‘endocrinologist’ or to just have some salt water and take rest in home. Chatbots massively reduce misinformation and delay in getting genuine advice.

4. Overcoming problems of Social stigma and taboos: Many ailments are sort of embarrassing and difficult to discuss for patients. Patients , specially teenagers , and young adults find it hard to share problems relating to sexual health or mental health issues. they ignore these problems and sometimes avoid seeking help out of fear of insult or finding out something bad may come up.

Chatbots are a more personal and private advising system. a chatbot will never judge you and will guide in an empathetic and personal way to seek timely help and guidance.

Hence chatbots can overcome challenges of problems that are not tackled because of social stigma and taboos.

5. Immediate medical advice in emergency situations: These chatbots and virtual assistants can be of vital help in case of medical emergencies at home. Many a times it has been observed specially in case of a minor stroke or heart attack, people ignore going for emergency case confusing the symptoms with dizziness or epigastric pain respectively. These delays can be catastrophic. The golden hour of survival is wasted in deciding what to do next. A medical assistant at home can be of immediate help in such scenarios and guide people on taking immediate steps to help their loved ones.

6. Preventive and lifestyle advices: In the near future 5–7 years down the line these assistants can become a complete health assistant that stays with you 24x7 and takes care of all aspects of your health. Suggesting changes to lifestyle and habits, dietary recommendations, exercise plans, and other preventive health services. They can monitor your health activity, your steps, calories burnt, intake and output of body fluids and suggest you minor nudges and adjustments to your lifestyle that ultimately lead to a long term healthy and fulfilling life with a healthy lifestyle. They can also motivate you into changing your habits by gasifying the process of improving your lifestyle and other health aspects.

7. Providing individualised care, specially to diabetics, hypertensives and Kidney patients: One major advantage of having a personal AI based chatbot is that it learns on your data and your behaviours as well as the data of billions of other users to come to conclusions that are beneficial to all , but specifically you the user. An AI based assistant can check your personal progress and outcome of various interventions and suggest a personalised / individualised care plan or advice. This can be of use in hospitals and clinics as well helping doctors make more personalised decisions from patient to patient rather than following a universal protocol that may not work in every situation.

8. Research and Innovation benefits: All the data that is gathered by these chatbots is a gold mine of valuable digital and organised health data which is mostly unorganised world wide right now. Various organisations can use this data to do research and find new medication and other patient management protocols. A lot of studies can be done very easily and quickly using this kind of data.

9. Your health data managers: A personal health assistant can be advised to manage and share your medical history and data at your will and command as necessary. Even the AI based assistant can decide on itself in a medical emergency to share your medical data with your physician and give an automated call when needed.

10. Providing access to health services in remote areas: Medical chatbots can be installed at remote dispensaries, inaccessible areas, submarines, space missions, or any such places where a human physician is either hard to send or would avoid going. At least a preliminary help can be provided and patients can be quarantined for further evaluation to major centres.

In time these chatbots in association with medical devices and sensors can set up a complete and holistic non human healthcare OPDs and kiosks in remote places to provide preliminary help.

These are some of the use cases that can be seen in the very near future. some of them are going on as of today as well in various parts of the world. Some common and popular chatbots in use today include ZINI.ai made by a startup in India, ada — a german medical chatbot and Your.MD made by a British company.

In future, more capabilities and more innovation can lead to a complete automation of many aspects of healthcare reducing costs and improving accessibility. Technologies like 3D bio printing are already helping print not only human tissues remotely but also medicines like paracetamol and few others. Examination techniques are getting automated day by day. Computer vision techniques are being used to better evaluate radiological images like X rays, CT scans and MRIs to help doctors make more reliable and accurate decisions. All these technologies in unison can help develop great technological leaps and bounds in the process of improving the quality of healthcare to masses.

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