The healthcare industry has seen incredible progress since the pandemic struck the globe. While the world faced this great challenge, the use of the latest technology combined with the decrease in appropriately experienced professionals posed different challenges to the healthcare and medical industry, including the difficulties of maintaining efficient hospital management systems, supervision on medical records, longer waiting time for patients and inadequate interactions with the patients.
With the dawn of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, the medical sector has also sought to integrate such advancements in technology into itself. The various nuances of AI have found their use in the complex problems faced by the industry, providing solutions appropriate for the fast-paced development of the 21st century. One of the solutions thus provided, is the use of chatbots.
What are Chatbots?
A chatbot is a computer program or software which replicates and processes human conversation, thus permitting people to interact with computers as if they were conversing with another human being. The programming of a chatbot may be as simple as providing answers for queries with a single-line response or they may even be as complex as digital assistants with the ability to increase the levels of personalization as more information is gathered.
Chatbots and Healthcare IT
An important use of chatbots in the healthcare would be to answer simple queries of patients instead of requiring the staff to tend to each patient. The chatbot may also take care of routine and monotonous tasks thus saving the time of the doctors. AI Chatbots can be integrated with specified machine learning algorithms to provide solutions to variety of problems faced by the medical industry.
Chatbots and Patients
The chatbot may be used as a personal virtual assistant for the patient. They can be programmed to give quick responses and notifications of the personal devices of the patients. In this way, the chatbot technology may be utilized to inform the patient regarding medication to be taken or need to consult a doctor via a phone notification. The program can inform patients regarding the renewal of prescriptions as well. A great advantage of the AI chatbots is the fact that the patient is not left unattended as the chatbot is always available to clear any possible doubts or queries that the patient may have. The patient can also ask questions regarding the schedule of the doctor and information on medicines in order to aid their decision – making process.
Chatbots and Hospital Management Systems
The chatbots help ease the work of the staff of the hospitals as well of the doctors. The AI Chatbot can provide information regarding the location of hospitals, availability of beds, facilities present in a hospital, scheduling of appointments for each of the doctors etc.
In conclusion, chatbots are software programs that imitate and process human conversation used in providing answers to patients regarding medication, prescriptions, availability of doctors, etc. thus reducing the waiting time of the patients and the workload of the doctors.
