Why Chatbots are the Future of Healthcare

Artificial Intelligence,is offering a lot of convenience across many industries, and one that we see greatly benefiting from the chatbot is healthcare. Also the artificial intelligence and specifically the chatbots are one of the best healthcare software solutions in this 2019.

How comfortable would you be discussing your personal health information with a healthcare AI tool? Considering many people would prefer to communicate with a company over Messenger than talk to one over the phone, it will only be a matter of time until we all will be going to chatbots with questions regarding our health. Instead of referencing WebMD, misdiagnosing yourself, and walking away convinced that your common cold is actually a life-threatening illness, a chatbot for healthcare can help you find better answers and information.

Since AI in healthcare is still a relatively new innovation, we cannot give these tools too much responsibility when it comes to engaging with patients beyond customer service and other basic tasks. However, there are still some great use cases that healthcare AI can help with today. 

1. Customer Service/Administration With an AI Chatbot

Log on to almost any site today, and of course, there is a chatbot waiting to help you navigate the site or fix a minor problem. Therefore, it should come as no surprise we will continue to see chatbots help users navigate services regarding their healthcare. The future in this regard may look like chatbots helping to schedule appointments, issue reminders, or help with refilling prescription medications. There will be a few privacy and HIPAA obstacles to jump before tech like that becomes common place. It’s not surprising to think those kinds of administrative and customer service functions are just on the horizon.

2. Patient Engagement

Chatbots designed to not just actively capture but captivate the patients’ interest regarding their care calls into question if the tech can further engage patients to improve outcomes.

Despite the healthy criticism circulating the issue, the right tech will strengthen that bond between provider and patient, not break it.

One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is therapists often direct clients to journal, and then come back a week later. People who are accustomed to using phones, laptops and electronic devices are not going to sit down and put pen to paper for something to be discussed in a week. However, if you can make it easier by giving them something that is already in their hands, is fun and relatable, then people will do it.

We live in an ‘on-demand’ world and recognize that to meet consumers’ healthcare expectations, it’s imperative that providers embrace ‘always-on’ accessibility. AI Chatbot enables that. It’s a huge transformation.

3. Mental Health

There are a variety of bots that give users a very humanized experience, so users feel as though they’re talking to a real person. For many people, just being able to talk about how they’re feeling and any anxieties they may be having is incredibly helpful in establishing better mental health.

For patients like this, they can use a conversational chatbot for healthcare as an outlet to discuss their feelings. If their needs go beyond the capabilities of the bot, a healthcare professional can step in and easily take over, while being able to reference the interactions between the patient and chatbot.

4. Research / Treatment

Another opportunity that is already happening is harnessing the power of data – specifically machine learning – to analyze information and studies faster than ever before. With the constant outpour of new cancer studies, it’s hard to keep track of the experimental solutions available.

While a doctor who is treating cancer patients does not have the bandwidth to read and stay ahead of every new piece of research, a machine can. A machine with AI capabilities can comb through all the data and provide concrete recommendations for doctors and their patients.

This use case may be more about the advances to come from machine learning, but the extraction of that information could and may very well be in automated forms of outreach and support. It’s rather likely to suspect that there will be a marriage between the automation of finding pertinent information and delivering it, all with the aim of offering more personalized treatment.

5. Claims and Billing

No one wants to have to deal with claims, insurance companies and medical bills. Thankfully, healthcare AI chatbots can assist with these tasks. A chatbot for healthcare has the capacity to check existing coverage, help file claims and track the status of claims. Healthcare AI tools can also help doctors through the pre-authorization process and billing inquiries.

AI and healthcare are converging to enhance the patient and provider experiences. Though the tasks for a chatbot in healthcare are basic for now, the potential for them to be used as diagnostic tools and more is apparent. Even at this stage, they are helping reduce staff load and overhead costs, improve patient services, and provide a 24/7 conversation outlet.