AI is making steady inroads into healthcare, but public concerns about various aspects of the new technology could be slowing down progress.
That’s according to a new study led by the UK’s University of Westminster and recently published at the online journal, Digital Health.
According to the report, the study, entitled “Acceptability of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-led chatbot services in healthcare: A mixed-method study,” aimed to explore the public’s willingness to engage with AI-led health chatbots.
To that end, three broad themes: ‘Understanding of chatbots’, ‘AI hesitancy’ and ‘Motivations for health chatbots’ were singled out for examination, enabling researchers to explore concerns about accuracy, cyber-security, and the inability of AI-led services to empathize.
“Most internet users would be receptive to using health chatbots,” the researchers concluded, “although hesitancy regarding this technology is likely to compromise engagement. Intervention designers focusing on AI-led health chatbots need to employ user-centred and theory-based approaches addressing patients’ concerns and optimizing user experience in order to achieve the best uptake and utilization. Patients’ perspectives, motivation and capabilities need to be taken into account when developing and assessing the effectiveness of health chatbots.”
Perhaps the largest share of concern surrounded the accuracy of chatbots as either sources of health information or diagnostic tools for relatively simple ailments. “Many participants were hesitant about whether they would incorporate chatbots as part of their healthcare,” the researchers wrote. “They were uncertain about the quality, trustworthiness and accuracy of the health information provided by chatbots, as the sources underpinning such services were not transparent. . . . There was a doubt about whether a chatbot could correctly identify symptoms of less common health conditions or diseases. A number of participants emphasized the potential for miscommunication between a chatbot and its users, who might not be able to accurately describe their health issues or name symptoms.”
The study comes on the heels of an announcement by the NHS of £250 million in funding to enhance the use of AI across the UK’s system. The researchers warn, however, that increased focus on AI in the NHS can increase health inequalities and may be detrimental to public health in the UK.
According to reports, concerning the £250 million NHS investment, the lead researcher from the University of Westminster Dr Tom Nadarzynski said: “Our research shows that at present a large proportion of the public is hesitant to use AI-led tools and services for their health, particularly for severe or stigmatized conditions. . . . We welcome the government’s initiative to set up ‘an Artificial Intelligence Lab’ within the NHS framework in England. Although we recognize the opportunities this technology may provide in terms of managing demand, supporting the development of new diagnostic tools and greater cost-effectiveness of services, we emphasize the importance of involving the public in the design and development of AI in healthcare. This way, the problem of ‘AI hesitancy’ hindering the improvement of healthcare provision could be addressed and the technology could make a real difference to the patients.”