The Use of Chatbots in Oncological Care: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Few reports have investigated chatbots in patient care. We aimed to assess the current applications, limitations, and challenges in the literature on chatbots employed in oncological care. Methods: We queried the PubMed database through April 2022 and included studies that investigated the use of chatbots in different phases of oncological care. The search used five different combinations of the specific terms "chatbot", "cancer", "oncology", and "conversational agent". Inclusion criteria were chatbot use in any aspect of oncological care-prevention, patient education, treatment, and surveillance. Results: The initial search yielded 196 records, 21 of which met inclusion criteria. The identified chatbots mostly focused on breast and ovarian cancer (n=8), with the second most common being cervical cancer (n=3). Good patient satisfaction was reported among 14 of 21 chatbots. The most reported chatbot applications were cancer screening, prevention, risk stratification, treatment, monitoring, and management. Of 12 studies examining efficacy of care via chatbot, 9 demonstrated improvements compared to standard care. Conclusion: Chatbots used for oncological care to date demonstrate high user satisfaction, and many have shown efficacy in improving patient-centered communication, accessibility to cancer-related information, and access to care. Currently, chatbots are primarily limited by the need for extensive user-testing and iterative improvement before widespread implementation.

Evaluation of the Cost-Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Interventions to Increase Female Breast and Cervical Cancer Screens: A Systematic Review

“…Apps which provide location information can help minimize travel costs, can be tailored to populations with different needs, such as providing translation assistance, and can provide notifications, for example, on the availability of mobile vans. Exploring the use of interactive Chatbots in relation to cancer care is also being explored [ 39 ]. A recent review provided information on the engagement and reach of different social media approaches for increasing the uptake of HPV vaccination and may provide insight into models for breast and cervical cancer screening [ 40 ].…”

Promoting Artificial Intelligence for Global Breast Cancer Risk Prediction and Screening in Adult Women: A Scoping Review

“…The release of more widely available AI platforms, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, has increased public consciousness about AI, with one study finding 80% of Americans willing to use AI-power tools in their health management, underscoring its potential uses in public health across a broad community [62]. Some of these conversational chatbots have already been investigated in cancer screening, prevention, and management with some success [63,64]. Beyond chatbots, AI can be applied in redesigning existing patient education materials to different reading levels for patients [65].…”

“…Beyond chatbots, AI can be applied in redesigning existing patient education materials to different reading levels for patients [65]. The use of AI in patient education and as an adjunctive tool for providers is still early in its incorporation, and future research should explore the implementation of AI-driven resources to enhance understanding and decision-making regarding breast cancer screening, especially in vulnerable populations with limited literacy [61][62][63][64][65].…”

Chatbots Utility in Healthcare Industry: An Umbrella Review

“…They have been widely used to combat misinformation and fake news during the COVID-19 pandemic. They can be utilized in cancer screening, survivorship, and post-treatment followup, automating tasks related to screening, prevention, risk stratification, treatment, symptom management, and survival [62,74]. Patients find chatbots highly acceptable, and they contribute to better communication abilities between healthcare professionals and patients.…”