Chatbots in Healthcare Interventions: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials v (Preprint)
BACKGROUND Chatbot or virtual conversational agent is a typical programme of utilizing AI technology in mimicking human interactions. More robust and high-quality clinical trials have been conducted to test the effectiveness of chatbot-based interventions, however, there was a lack of a synthesis of the best available evidence. OBJECTIVE To examine the best available evidence of the application of chatbot-based interventions in the healthcare context. METHODS Seven databases were searched from inception until October 2021. Two reviewers independently selected the studies, extracted data from the included studies, and assessed the risk of bias. Study qualities were assessed by the RoB 2.0 tool. Silberg Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the chatbots systems utilized in the reviewed studies. RESULTS Twenty-one studies were included in the data synthesis. Studies of using chatbot-based interventions are feasible and an average moderate to a high level of participants acceptability of the intervention was reported. The intervention approaches mainly included cognitive-behavioural interventions, health education/counselling, storytelling acceptance and commitment therapy, and coping skills training. Findings indicate significant improvements in participants’ physical activity and physical function, healthy lifestyle modifications, symptoms/knowledge of the diseases, as well as mental health and psychosocial outcomes. The overall quality varies among the included studies as assessed by the RoB 2.0 tool. The average Silberg score was 5.4 with an SD of 1.6, out of the 9 points. CONCLUSIONS Our review findings indicate that chatbot-based interventions are feasible, acceptability and have positive effects on a variety of healthcare outcomes. Chatbots can provide low threshold access to healthcare services, and they can serve as a medical assistant to support patients’ recovery or health education/promotion needs before or after medical treatment without location restrictions. Also, the chatbot interventions can play an adjunct role and be integrated into the current health systems, which could improve the comprehensiveness of the healthcare services as well as save physicians’ time to see more patients or give more intensive care. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews No.CRD42021262512.