Dr Google, do I have diabetes?
Modern societies are facing health and health care challenges never seen before.We are seeing internet-delivery therapy or apps being used as part of a daily routine to take care of our health. This is happening especially because of Covid-19 context in which, patients and physicians have to be psychically isolated. As a consequence, the digital health transformation is being accelerated #HealthyAtHome.
What we are talking about is different from phenomes such as: “freestyle” Google search for health info; type a question in Google search field like “do I have diabetes?”; search for profiles, on Instagram, typing the name of a disease.
Dr Google is still used, unfortunately, for self-diagnosis and self-treatment or even life risk. It means to search for health information online mostly to diagnose the symptoms of a disease [“What Did You Google? Describing Online Health Information Search Patterns of ED patients and Their Relationship with Final Diagnoses”].
This behaviour gives a comfortable sensation as if we were Dr House [“Teaching medicine with the help of Dr. House”]. There are factors that influence the online search for health information: education, gender, race, age, presence of children in the home, having a poor personal health condition, or geographic residence.
Do we all have a “little Dr House” inside us?
Social media usage is permeated by the ideology of contribution, in which users take advantage of technological resources not only for share but also to create content. As a consequence of these factors, citizens with different goals are using media while interacting with a multitude of content and people, forming groups, communicating and increasing their network. In fact, it is interesting to recognize that the health topic is actively used with digital media since the beginning of the current decade mainly with Facebook Groups or Instagram Profiles [“When Does Trust in Online Social Groups Grow?”].
What are the Instagram profiles that I should follow?
In the case of chronic diseases, the clinical digital environment optimizes the course of the disease to maintain and prolong the health and care of patients. This change process distances itself from a purely prescriptive relationship, involving physically patients and physicians. Is this case not only the doubts of the patients are clearly answered but, the disease is well treated.
In the current health context, Covid-19 is also changing the patient-centered principles for companies who are developing and are responsible for health digital transformation. Adopting these principles, digital transformation in healthcare then requires the active participation of the citizens — patients — as the focus of all care interventions.
Switching from search in Dr Google to talk with a Robot
Chatbot — robot — is a huge digital health experience in which the patients, virtually, can have access to a Conversational Agent and explain their doubts. It includes software and hardware “that use Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence methods to mimic human behaviour and provide task-oriented framework evolving dialogue to participate in conversation” but, Dr Google won´t be forgotten.
Shoud we trust in a chatbot?
If we look back on half a century ago, when Human-Computer Interaction was established, it emerged the programmable natural language ELIZA, developed at the MIT Artificial Intelligence laboratory by Joseh Weizenbaum . It was the first chatbot therapist (1976). Years later, this tool made Google Home and Amazon Echo become possibilities. The technology has also advanced to the point that chatbot incorporates natural language processing for speech removing the need for a keyboard, as anyone who is using Siri can confirm.
In the healthcare environment, the technology behind this robot may offer particular advantages such as a role to play in patient care because the chatbot is always available when patients interact with the system; the machine never distracted with other issues, and always remembers about everything. Recent research and media information showed evidence, in mental health, that chatbots are being used in suicide prevention and cognitive-behavioural therapy. A recent report from Accenture reveals that 40% of healthcare companies consider that Artificial Intelligence technology will have the greatest impact in the industry within the next three years.
The chatbot will help users to check their symptoms. Based on the diagnosis, patients can book an appointment. The robot will answer their questions, and even offer, if necessary, a direct telemedicine consultation with a doctor through video chat. This technology should include credible content, validated by a multidisciplinary team where healthcare professionals have a decisive role. This content must also consider clinical protocols and should integrate the experience between the patient and the doctor. This detail is what makes the difference into interacting with a Chatbot or searching on Dr Google.
Take care of your health.
