5 Benefits of a Medical Chatbot to Patient Health

It is not always possible to get to speak to a doctor just when we want to unless an obvious medical emergency. The answer, however, is for computer software to assist us in these instances. So, let us consider how a medical chatbot can help us as the patient as well as the medical profession to cope with the increasing demand for services relating to health.

Immediate Answers

The question and answer systems that chatbots use will allow for patients to receive the answers to their questions immediately, rather than have to wait to speak to a busy doctor. This is ideal for minor medical matters and relieves much distress when the patient can find out what is wrong and how best to deal with it. A pharmacy can then, in many instances, oblige with relieving medications when they do not relate to prescription drugs.

Triaging

Chatbots can identify on behalf of medical practitioners just which patients are urgent by filtering them out. Many minor complaints will take a doctor’s time and mean that urgent patients then have to wait longer. It will be clear from the answers to questions how important or urgent it will be to speak to a doctor on the telephone or be examined by them face-to-face.

Triaging is time-saving and so are chatbots for being that triage mechanism that directs patients to just who it is they need to be speaking to. This is whether they can go straight to the pharmacist or need to see a doctor first. Patients will appreciate the time-saving just as doctors will when it comes to their heavy workload and wanting to do their best for as many patients as possible.

Embarrassing Ailments

Chatbots help patients who find certain medical questions embarrassing to ask their physician face-to-face. This can be related to gender and it being something that affects only males or females. This embarrassment can be eliminated by online questioning that is through an anonymous or automated chatbot.

Vast Amounts of Information Held

Computer systems can hold significant amounts of information that humans could not possibly remember without referring to books. Also, this information can be easily accessible by a patient day or night. Because many complaints will be similar, the answers can in a sense be predictable. Also, one question on a chatbot can direct a patient to a range of options from that. If we think of the flowcharts that we studied in mathematics then we can soon see how we could be better directed because of either a “yes”, “no”, or “maybe” answer.

Improved and Continued Patient Engagement

Many may say that chatbots take away patient engagement because of a lack of face-to-face engagement with a doctor, but the value of information being at the instant disposal of a patient cannot be underestimated. It is peace of mind to have that 24/7 access that can answer doubts and uncertainties about medical matters. That in itself counts as regular engagement as patients revisit a website for continued advice and assistance.

Self-diagnosis has a place, but to be guided to the solution is a step beyond that. We are in effect guiding ourselves to a possible correct answer with regards to a medical diagnosis, but with the cautionary note that there may be other possibilities to explore. Many symptoms will be similar, so it is a process of elimination that will narrow down just what a medical condition or disease is. Of course, where tests are required, then these will need to be carried out in person in most instances. However, the first clue to anything being medically wrong will be the symptoms that we are experiencing, either on a temporary or long-term basis. Changes are something to look out for in the way that we are feeling and our body is behaving.

To conclude, it is clear that many benefits are offered by medical chatbots. So, on this basis, they are something many patients will be keen to embrace. Particularly busy working people and those who feel anxious by having to wait for answers. Medical discomforts have the potential to slow us down, whereas medical chatbots can speed up our treatments. So, where it is more serious, you will have already seen the online doctor first and have started the medical process off that will then lead to a fuller examination to confirm the diagnosis. Some things are unavoidable.