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Telemedicine chatbots are disrupting mobile health apps

Chatbots bridge the gap of empathy in healthcare and are proving to be more successful.

Hey, that must hurt so much. Imagine getting this reaction on a mobile health application while chatting. Empathy, ideally, should have been at the core of all telemedicine and mobile health applications.

Telemedicine Chatbot Software for Integrated Healthcare Solutions by Vinfotech

However, over the years, telemedicine software, providers or platforms especially mobile health apps, reached out to more people but fell short on the ‘empathy’ scale.
-A 2015 study conducted by Prophet said 41% of 1,000 U.S. citizens said they believed the healthcare system is more concerned about money than people’s well-being.
-USA Today reported that the percentage of misdiagnosis varied from 5% to 44%.
-80% of serious medical errors involve miscommunication between caregivers during the transfer of patients.

At the root of these statistics is lack of empathy in healthcare. There’s no doubt that telemedicine solutions and mobile health have significantly cut costs, achieved great savings and improved outcomes. Yet, applying empathy in technology has remained challenging. This led to lack of patient engagement even on the most stunning looking telemedicine software or mobile health apps.

What do most telemedicine solutions/mobile health apps lack?

-Patients eventually lost interest in the app, needed reminders from actual physicians/caregivers
-Lack of correct administration of medicines/exercises etc led to slower recovery.
-People didn’t grow fond of telemedicine apps because – who wants to be reminded of their illness?

Telemedicine Chatbot Empathy Cycle by Vinfotech

A new disruption – chatbots

It’s obvious that the only way to cope with patient dissatisfaction in the healthcare telemedicine software domain now is to re-emphasize the empathy scale on applications.

HT Consultant journal listed ‘Empathetic health interfaces’ as one of the 5 digital health innovations in 2018. The various things that are now included in the empathetic health interfaces are –
-chatbots
-robotics
-artificial intelligence

The areas where empathetic health interfaces can make a huge difference include but are not limited to –
-depression
-aging-related diseases
-rehabilitation

No wonder thus that chatbots are fast becoming ‘companions’ for people to talk and interact in the time of need – medical or mental stress. Chatbots are great for healthcare because –
-More effective instead of downloading and using another mobile health app
-Can be written by developers on mobile messaging platforms
-Can engage patients more empathetically

CEO of Kik Ted Livington says - Chat apps will come to be thought of as the new browsers; bots will be the new websites. This is the beginning of a new internet. 

Robotic/AI-enabled chat agents show empathy

-Chatbots are more empathetic because a large data of public chat scripts help these to learn and mimic human conversations
-Tools can be used to include techniques such as NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), concept extraction and sentiment analysis
-Patients prefer a more spontaneous, understanding way of remote monitoring over time-tables, reminders or notifications

How willing are the patients for AI/robots/chatbots?

-A PwC April 2017 report said that 55% of those surveyed across Europe, the Middle East and Africa would be willing to use AI and robotics as part of their care
-They said they would want these for heart monitoring, customized fitness advice and taking and testing blood samples
-54% of respondents are willing to talk to and interact with a device, platform or robot with artificial intelligence.
-Frost & Sullivan analysts said that by 2025, AI systems could be involved in everything from population health management to digital avatars capable of answering specific patient queries.

Chatbot Software Solutions for Web and App by Vinfotech

Country-wise willingness towards empathetic interfaces

-Nigeria, Turkey, and South Africa - 94%, 85% and 82% respectively
-Two-thirds of the Middle East
- The Netherlands - 55%
-Belgium - 51%
- Norway - 50%
-Sweden - 48%
-Germany and the UK - 41% and 39% respectively

Chatbots Made for Healthcare by Vinfotech

Where should chatbot creators focus?

In the PwC survey stated above, patients were willing to try empathetic interfaces specifically for the following services –
-Monitoring heart condition (e.g. pulse, blood pressure, electrocardiography (ECG), etc.)
-Take note of symptoms, and advise on heart condition treatment (37%).
-Administer a test that checks heartbeat’s rhythm and makes recommendations based on the results (35%).
-Provide customized advice for fitness and health based on patient’s personal preferences and health records (34%).
-Take and test a blood sample and provide the patients with the results (30%).

However, there are several areas where chatbots can excel –

-rehabilitation and elderly care
-aging-related ailments
-mental disorders, depression, personality disorders
-physiotherapy
-dermatology

Excellent Telemedicine Chatbot Software Solutions by Vinfotech

According to Frost and Sullivan predictions, the AI market for healthcare will increase by 40% between 2014 and 2021. And they estimate growth from US$633.8 million to US$6.662 billion. AI-enabled chatbots in healthcare have risen as a major disruption in healthcare and for good reason.

If you need a telehealth software development company for creating healthcare chatbots, we can help you create the most user-friendly customized chatbots. Vinfotech is one of the leading custom telemedicine software providers having more than ten years of experience and a varied portfolio. Do give us a call.

IN A NUTSHELL
  • Chatbots are more empathetic, convenient for patients
  • Patients are willing to chat with chatbots
  • Telemedicine providers can easily integrate chatbot APIs
  • AI enabled chatbots is a growing market

About Vinfotech

Whether you are looking out to build a chatbot on top of your telehealth app as a smart symptom tracker, or take charge of improving overall healthcare experience of your hospital by connecting your staff, doctors and patients over a gamified online community integrated with various fitness wearables and medical devices, turn to Vinfotech.

Vinfotech is design-led healthcare ecosystem software provider for governments, healthcare organizations, care providers, medical ISVs, device manufacturers and software product companies with following expertise:
/ Healthcare online communities (for patients, hospitals & donors)
/ Telehealth
/ E-prescription
/ EMR
/ Coordinated care solutions
/ Chatbot, medical device and wearable integration
/ Any custom web/ mobile app

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