THE INFLUENCE OF AI & CHATBOTS IN

THE
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
 CHAT BOT
What is a chatbot? This is a vital question because whether we realize it or not,
technology is reinventing our lives in more ways than one. Gartner predicts that
by 2020, the average person will have more conversations with chatbots than
with their spouse. The prime technology of AI, machine learning and natural
language processing now helps to ensure round-the-clock digital support.
Arrays of organizations are looking to incorporate chatbots to engage with their
customers which bring forth data-driven, reliable and better results.

Now when you visit the homepage of a product website, instantly a small chat
window pops up from the bottom right corner. It displays the message “Hi, I am
Jane. How may I assist you today?” The same things a few years ago would be
startling but now you just initiate the typing describing your problem to an
artificial conversational entity – the chatbot.
 Limitless Possibilities
Chatbots and healthcare integrate with each other extremely well. Chatbots give the healthcare
industry to personalize a user experience without the requirement to directly contact the hospitals or
clinics.

There are various chatbots which are already geared towards helping patients with scheduling
appointments, rescheduling in case of delays, diagnosing based on symptoms, receiving instant
feedback related to general ailments and health queries. Chatbots are developed to learn from
several interactions to boost the correctness of their disease recognition. The main idea is to be able
to help individuals in a lesser time frame and for less money than it would take to see a medical
practitioner.

For example, a chatbot name Woebot is programmed to imitate human conversation by asking
important questions and permitting patients to open up and talk through their feelings. The founder
and chief Alison Darcy of Woebot Labs, told The Washington Post, “You can get things off your chest
without worrying about what the other person thinks, without fear of judgment.”
 Answering the FAQ
There is a range of simple medical questions that come to our
mind either before or after treatment which are of vital
importance to the patient but replying to them do not require the
full attention and time of a physician.

To answer the same questions multiple times in a day can be

challenging and time-consuming for the staff and hence it can
be avoided by using the never-tiring chatbots.

While considerably reducing the wait times, the chatbots also

ease the overworked medical professionals in often
understaffed clinical setups.
 The Pocket Assistant
There are some chatbots which are integrated with mobile apps for on-the-go patients
to schedule appointments, manage test results, issue reminders and initiate a
medication refill.

These chatbots are built according to personalized questions and answers which
otherwise is routinely managed by healthcare professionals.
 Conclusion
The varied number of health-related chatbots is increasing at a spectacular speed.

They help to make smarter healthcare decisions, maintain proper management, increase
productivity and help to save time. So, take the plunge into the world of chatbots today and
discover the difference not only in your health clinics and hospitals but even for medical
practitioners and your patients.