Chatbots and cataract surgery education: What does the future hold?
A new study has proposed the creation of a chatbot or conversational app to assist patients who are preparing for cataract surgery. The research aimed to evaluate the acceptability of this technology and assess the level of patient knowledge about cataracts and cataract surgery.
The study, which was conducted in 2 phases, included 106 participants who completed a questionnaire evaluating their knowledge and expectations regarding patient education. Results showed that the majority of patients were women aged 60 to 79 years, retired, with no high school diploma, and had never used a chatbot before.
Furthermore, more than half of the participants (51.8%) reported insufficient knowledge about cataracts, while 81.1% expressed a desire for additional information. To address this need, researchers developed a chatbot with a repertoire of question-answer sets and tested its acceptability among 18 patients.
The chatbot’s baseline data consisted of 316 questions, with a median comprehensibility score of 101 (middle school level). The median connection time was 4 minutes and 40 seconds, with patients asking a median of 6.5 questions per session. Acceptability was rated as good, with a mean SUS Score of 78.6 out of 100.
The study’s authors concluded that the creation of a chatbot for patients undergoing cataract surgery is a relevant and promising educational tool. By providing patients with additional information about their condition and treatment options, this technology could improve patient outcomes and enhance overall satisfaction with care.
The results of this study could also have implications for other medical specialties, as chatbots and conversational apps continue to emerge as a valuable resource for patient education and engagement. As such, further research is needed to explore the potential benefits of this technology in other clinical contexts.
Reference
Razlog E, Chammas J, Arndt C, et al. Développement d’un chatbot (agent conversationnel) pour les patients en parcours de chirurgie de la cataracte [Development of a chatbot (conversational app) for cataract surgery patients]. J Fr Ophtalmol. 2023 Apr 13:S0181-5512(22)00440-5. French. doi: 10.1016/j.jfo.2022.07.023. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37061386.
