Chatbots in Healthcare: 3 Benefits of Virtual Health Assistants

While the growing role of tech in the healthcare field isn’t exactly breaking news, there is one element of telehealth making a surprisingly dramatic impact: chatbots. According to Global Market Insights, the use of artificial intelligence and chatbots in healthcare is growing rapidly with the “health intelligent virtual assistant market” expected to increase by over 33.7% from 2018 to 2024, and there are many advantages to implementing this technology for healthcare organizations. From streamlining the process of getting in for a regular check-up to delivering answers in urgent situations, chatbots can be essential in providing optimal care in every step of a patient’s healthcare journey. If you’re still on the fence, here are the top 3 reasons you should consider incorporating chatbots into your healthcare service delivery.

1. Peace of Mind

Source: https://venturebeat.com/

Chatbots have the unique ability to connect healthcare providers and patients outside of the office. One app in particular goes above and beyond to give answers to patients without a doctor visit, the Baidu Doctor contains a chatbot, known as Melody, that assists physicians in diagnosing their patients. Melody is powered by deep learning, a type of artificial intelligence that “involves training artificial neural networks on lots of labeled data and then making inferences about new data.” Essentially, Melody is a chatbot that communicates with patients, collects their health information and inquires about the extent of their symptoms. Melody then shares the information with specialists so that they can make an informed decision about next steps, and to ensure accuracy, any information regarding diagnosis can only be given to the patient when verified by a doctor. When time is of the essence and patients need to know whether they need immediate medical attention, chatbots, like Melody, provide fast answers and peace of mind when it’s needed most.

2. Convenience

Source: https://www.your.md/

Life can be busy and chaotic, making it challenging for individuals to set aside time to see a healthcare provider, let alone make the appointment. Greg Johnsen, CEO of Life Link, affirms “If you’re trying to meet patients where they are and where it’s convenient for them, then the place to meet them is texting on a mobile phone,” and we are here to say chatbots are the solution for this need of convenience for healthcare providers and patients. Chatbots and their respective apps provide an ideal space for patients and their families to be matched with appropriate healthcare providers, supply a method of payment, and keep track of visits or any follow-up appointments. In a matter of minutes, individuals can discuss symptoms and next steps, schedule appointments and stay organized and informed. Your.MD is one app that utilizes artificial intelligence to check a patient’s symptoms and evaluate their current condition to determine the severity of the proposed ailment and whether they should see a doctor or receive more urgent care. Your.MD even takes it a step further, referring the patient to a physician and assisting in booking the appointment if emergency care is not necessary. When the patient’s health is the top priority, chatbots are there to streamline the process of getting them the help they need, whenever they need it.

3. Improved Health and Quality of Life

Source: https://www.florence.chat/

The ultimate goal of healthcare is to improve the health and quality of life of the patient, but once they leave the office, it can be challenging to keep them on track towards a healthier lifestyle. Patients may not follow recommended care regimens or take medications as prescribed, even though they know it is what’s best, and sometimes vital, for their well-being. With the help of a chatbot, patients can manage their health and help them take the necessary steps to improve their quality of life. Chatbots, like Florence, serve as an online health assistant and can be personalized to remind patients when they need to take medication or contraceptives, and provides them with information specific to their medication so they can stay informed. Florence also assists patients in improving their overall health with its “health tracker.” Through this feature, they can record body weight, moods and other important information to keep them on track with their goals. Personal Health Assistants ensure that patients are being proactive in improving their health and quality of life even after they leave the doctor’s office.

If you strive to provide quality healthcare and patients are the number one priority, it’s time to adopt a chatbot. Incorporating this type of artificial intelligence into healthcare service delivery is the next step toward offering world-class care. To learn more about innovative trends in healthcare marketing, contact Orange Label here.