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Technology has changed the way we work, and healthcare is no different. The rise of chatbots has increased demand for these automated programs that can help patients with their needs and questions. Chatbots are now being used in many industries. Nonetheless, it is particularly useful in the medical field as it allows doctors to easily access patient records and update them whenever necessary.

Just a few years ago, no one could have guessed the extent to which chatbots could be used across industries, let alone healthcare.

Today, there are chatbot solutions for almost every industry including marketing, real estate, finance, government, B2B interactions, and healthcare. But when the pandemic hit, the healthcare industry was thrown into complete disarray. As if the massive surge in patient numbers and overworked healthcare workers weren't enough, healthcare professionals found themselves battling another important aspect. patient anxiety.

Patient anxiety automatically translates into a need to provide immediate and accurate information to patients, and have been instrumental in managing patient queries, providing timely information, and protecting panicked patients. Soon after, organizations such as WHO and CDC began adopting conversational AI-powered chatbots to easily deliver curated information to broad audiences.

Two years later, chatbots are no longer just a means of conveying information. They have wider applications and are an integral part of healthcare. It seems like we've reached the end of the tunnel with the pandemic, but chatbots are here to stay and play an important role in shaping the future of healthcare.

Use Cases of Chatbots in Healthcare:

1. Improve patient engagement:

To the uninitiated, patient engagement simply means that the healthcare system allows patients to take basic healthcare into their own hands. It involves a constant flow of information from both the practitioner side and the patient side, including timely check-in and incorporating healthy habits.

Previously, people calling hospitals and clinics were involved, which was fine. But since the pandemic hit, more people now understand the importance of such practices, which means healthcare organizations are handling more call volume than ever before.

This is where chatbots come in. Healthcare practices can equip chatbots to handle basic queries, collect patient information, and provide health-related information whenever needed.

Read also: Cost to develop health insurance apps

2. Symptom Assessment Prior to Scheduling Visit:

You are a health care provider. Thousands of patients come every day with different symptoms. Doctors are tired, patients are tired of waiting, and trying to find a solution is pushed to the limit.

Now let's reimagine the situation with a medical chatbot.

This reduces the number of patients who come to the hospital with non-urgent symptoms and allows doctors to focus on patients in need of critical care, reducing the burden on hospitals and clinics.

Another advantage is that chatbots can collect all the necessary data and symptoms already before a patient's scheduled visit, allowing doctors to make appointments faster and more efficiently. This not only helps healthcare workers but also alerts patients in case of serious medical conditions.

3. Scheduling appointments with ease:

One of the most widely used chatbots in the healthcare sector is for booking and scheduling appointments.

Implementing a chatbot for appointment scheduling eliminates the monotony of filling out dozens of forms and eases the entire booking process. They can provide information on aspects such as doctor availability and appointment slots and connect patients to the right doctors and specialists. Additionally, the use of chatbots for scheduling appointments reduces the need for medical staff to attend to these minor tasks.

4. Maintain patient records and enable online consultations:

AI chatbots in healthcare can be leveraged to collect, store and maintain patient data. This information can be called up whenever needed to help doctors track patient health and understand patient medical history, prescriptions, tests ordered, and more.

This increases the effectiveness of doctors and diagnosticians and ensures quality care is always provided.

The chatbot can collect a patient's phone number and can even get a video consultation if the patient can't get to the nearest medical facility. Both doctors and patients can benefit greatly from this implementation.

5. Appointment Schedule:

Another useful application for chatbots is scheduling appointments. Many people prefer to make an appointment online rather than calling the clinic or hospital directly. Chatbots can now fill this role by providing online scheduling via a website or app.

Patients will be able to check their schedules online and make appointments without having to wait on a phone or computer or make an appointment over the phone with a receptionist. This can save patients and clinics time and reduce costs associated with making calls and paying receptionists' salaries.

6. Health Care Identification:

Several healthcare practices, such as clinics and diagnostic laboratories, have integrated chatbots into their patient journey touchpoints. These chatbots for travel industry provide information about the nearest health examination center, health examination packages and instructions, interpretation of test results, and more.

The chatbot provides visitors with a range of options, with clear instructions on how to prepare for tests, such as non-fasting and fasting health screenings, how to prepare, what to expect, and more.

7. Handling insurance inquiries:

A Mobile application development company in San Francisco is integrating chatbot capabilities into AI-powered healthcare apps. The need for chatbots is high in the healthcare industry to create collaborative mobile apps. Chatbots can check insurance coverage for patients seeking care in emergency rooms or urgent care facilities. This allows facilities to bill the correct insurance company for services rendered without waiting for approval from the patient insurance provider.

The future of AI chatbots in healthcare:

The healthcare market is both profitable and delicate. It is also one of the fastest-changing industries, with new technologies being introduced each year for both patients and providers. Chatbots are already being used in many ways in this industry, but they can potentially be used in even more innovative ways.

Chatbots can be used in a variety of ways, making them versatile in the healthcare industry. Patients can use it to get information about their condition or treatment options or to learn more about insurance coverage.

Conclusion:

Clearly, there are quite a few examples of the use of chatbots in healthcare. However, despite the many benefits of chatbots in healthcare, many organizations are still hesitant to integrate bots and automation into their processes. This happens because chatbots are error-prone and can be difficult to implement, especially given the lack of top 15 mobile app developers in Newyork.

Author Bio:

Hello everyone, I'm Gangadhar Chemudu. I’m a passionate content writer and SEO Executive working in FuGenX Technologies. FuGenX is a Mobile apps development company in NYC, India, and the UAE. I am curious about the latest technological developments. For topics related to mobile app development, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, IOS, and technology, contact me on LinkedIn.