Chatbot for Health Care and Oncology Applications Using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Chatbot is a timely topic applied in various fields, including medicine and health care, for human-like knowledge transfer and communication. Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, has been proven particularly applicable in health care, with the ability for complex dialog management and conversational flexibility. Objective This review article aims to report on the recent advances and current trends in chatbot technology in medicine. A brief historical overview, along with the developmental progress and design characteristics, is first introduced. The focus will be on cancer therapy, with in-depth discussions and examples of diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, patient support, workflow efficiency, and health promotion. In addition, this paper will explore the limitations and areas of concern, highlighting ethical, moral, security, technical, and regulatory standards and evaluation issues to explain the hesitancy in implementation. Methods A search of the literature published in the past 20 years was conducted using the IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and OVID databases. The screening of chatbots was guided by the open-access Botlist directory for health care components and further divided according to the following criteria: diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, support, workflow, and health promotion. Results Even after addressing these issues and establishing the safety or efficacy of chatbots, human elements in health care will not be replaceable. Therefore, chatbots have the potential to be integrated into clinical practice by working alongside health practitioners to reduce costs, refine workflow efficiencies, and improve patient outcomes. Other applications in pandemic support, global health, and education are yet to be fully explored. Conclusions Further research and interdisciplinary collaboration could advance this technology to dramatically improve the quality of care for patients, rebalance the workload for clinicians, and revolutionize the practice of medicine.

Learning the Treatment Process in Radiotherapy Using an Artificial Intelligence–Assisted Chatbot: Development Study

“…Health care chatbots are an inevitable consequence of these advancements. They provide a means by which a practically infinite information source can be simplified and communicated to suit the needs of a human [16]. This can be achieved through scripting and computer programming on the chatbot virtual assistant platform.…”

COVID-Bot, an Intelligent System for COVID-19 Vaccination Screening: Design and Development

“…However, in the light of the growing difficulties in attending to patients during a health crisis or pandemic, such as COVID-19, the health care sector has shifted its focus to strengthening digital health care services. Health care professionals are using chatbots to assist patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is a major changer for the business [23,24]. Health care chatbots can deliver accurate, up-to-date information, while improving the patient experience.…”

Supporting Patients on Complex Care Journeys: How Technology Can Bridge the Gaps

“…Many programs also incorporate symptom triage pathways and use natural language processing to respond automatically to patient questions and concerns. 3,4 These technology solutions can automate many tasks that in the past required a care team member to spend hours on the phone. Newly freed from such repetitive tasks, care teams can now focus on more in-depth interactions with those patients who are most in need-the types of interactions that are more satisfying and rewarding.…”