Product Engineering

by Team Azilen

April 10, 2024

Generative AI in Healthcare: Medical Chatbot Development that Works Beyond Presets

For years, chatbots have answered FAQs, scheduled appointments, and provided basic guidance.

But these interactions were often clunky, limited by pre-programmed responses that left patients and healthcare providers feeling like impersonal conversations.

However, generative AI in healthcare is changing the game.

It allows chatbots to learn and adapt, fostering natural conversations that go beyond the limitations of scripts.

In this blog, we’ll explain how chatbot (powered by generative AI) can make healthcare more effective and accessible!

5 Real-World Examples of Generative AI in Healthcare Chatbot

For better understanding, we’ve provided a conversation between a healthcare chatbot and the respective user.

1. Doctor's Assistant Chatbot

Doctor: Hi, what’s the latest in our cardiovascular surgery outcomes?

Chatbot: Hi Doctor, we’ve seen a 15% drop in mortality and 2 days less in hospital stay post-surgery.

Doctor: Any new surgical techniques or equipment updates?

Chatbot: Yes, we’re using minimally invasive methods with improved imaging for better results.

Doctor: Any changes in post-surgery medication protocols?

Chatbot: We’re now tailoring meds more precisely based on patient risk profiles.

Doctor: How’s the emergency department staffing?

Chatbot: Fully staffed and ready for 24/7 care.

Doctor: Any patient feedback trends lately?

Chatbot: Patients are pleased with communication, cleanliness, and overall care coordination.

Startups like Navina are creating generative AI assistants to help doctors with administrative tasks.

These AI assistants can turn chaotic patient data into actionable insights about a patient’s medical history and even generate documents like referral letters and progress notes.

This frees up doctors’ time to focus on patient care.

2. Chatbot for Pharmacist

Pharmacist: Hello. Can you help me check the availability of a specific medication in our inventory?

Chatbot: Of course, I can assist with that. Please provide me with the name of the medication you’re looking for.

Pharmacist: I need to know if we have 100 tablets of Metformin 500mg in stock.

Chatbot: Checking our inventory data… Yes, we currently have 100 tablets of Metformin 500mg available in stock.

Pharmacist: Great, thanks for the quick response. Could you also check the expiration date for these tablets?

Chatbot: Sure, the expiration date for the Metformin 500mg tablets is August 2024.

Pharmacist: Perfect, that’s within the acceptable range. I’ll go ahead and prepare the prescription for the patient. Thanks for your help.

Chatbot: You’re welcome! If you need any more information or assistance, feel free to ask anytime.

Generative AI in healthcare, especially for pharmacies offers a promising future for a more informed, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare experience!

"AI won't replace doctors...but doctors using AI will definitely replace doctors without AI." - Kimberly Breuer, cofounder of Likeminded.

Learn how other startups like Wellx, @vitafluence, and @anyahealth are using AI to improve healthcare for everyone. pic.twitter.com/RzQfmrrxkf
— Google for Startups (@GoogleStartups) April 8, 2024

3. Clinical Research Assistant

Clinical researcher: Hi, can you tell me about the Phase III trial inclusion criteria for our new cancer drug?

Chatbot: Sure, patients aged 18-65 with stage III or IV lung cancer, prior chemotherapy, and measurable disease are included.

Clinical researcher: What are the exclusion criteria?

Chatbot: Exclusions are prior PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor treatment, active brain metastases, or recent autoimmune disease treatment.

Clinical researcher: What are the primary endpoints?

Chatbot: Primary endpoints are progression-free survival and overall survival.

Clinical researcher: And the enrollment target?

Chatbot: Target is 500 patients globally over 3 years.

Clinical researcher: Thanks for the info!

Chatbot: You’re welcome! Let me know if you need anything else.

By implementing a generative AI chatbot effectively, a clinical research center can streamline operations, improve patient engagement, and accelerate research progress.

👉 Read our Insightful Blog on Custom Healthcare Software Development: 2020 Vs. 2024 Approach

4. Assistant for Nurse

Nurse: Good morning. Can you provide me with the current patient census for our cardiology ward?

Chatbot: Good morning! There are 15 patients in the cardiology ward currently. Is there anything specific you need to know about them?

Nurse: Yes, how is Mr. Smith doing? He was admitted with chest pain yesterday.

Chatbot: Mr. Smith’s condition has improved; his chest pain has subsided, and his vital signs are stable.

Nurse: Thank you. Could you also check if Mrs. Johnson’s lab results are ready?

Chatbot: Mrs. Johnson’s lab results are available, showing normal levels with no concerning findings.

Nurse: Great. Also, could you check the availability of ICU beds for potential admissions later today?

Chatbot: Currently, there are two vacant ICU beds available for potential admissions. Shall I notify you if there are any changes in availability?

Nurse: Yes, please keep me updated. Thanks!

Chatbot: You’re welcome! If you have more questions later, feel free to ask. Have a good day!

You can see generative AI can improve the nursing profession by freeing up their time, allowing for more personalized care, and enhancing overall workflow efficiency.

5. Patient Assistance

Patient: I’m experiencing some side effects after taking my new prescription. Can you tell me if this is normal?

Chatbot: I can definitely assist with that. Please describe the side effects you’re experiencing.

Nurse: I’ve been feeling nauseous and dizzy since I started taking the medication.

Chatbot: It’s possible that there could be side effects of the medication. May I know which medication you’re referring to?

Nurse: It’s called XYZ medication.

Chatbot: Let me check our pharmacy data for information on XYZ medication and its common side effects.

(Chatbot processes the data)

Chatbot: Based on our records, nausea, and dizziness are known side effects of XYZ medication. However, if these symptoms are severe or persistent, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider for further evaluation and guidance.

Unlike human staff, healthcare chatbots are available around the clock to answer questions, address concerns, and provide information.

This can be especially helpful for patients with urgent questions or those in different time zones.

In fact, it can be integrated into various platforms like hospital websites, mobile apps, or messaging services, making healthcare resources readily available to patients.

Generative AI in Healthcare Chatbot: How Does it Work?

The medical chatbot learns from the proprietary data, like medical histories and treatment plans, of the respected healthcare facility.

That means, it knows exactly how things work.

It supports healthcare professionals and patients by giving them insights and suggestions and helping with decisions.

The best part? You don’t need to be a tech specialist to use it.

Just ask questions like you’re talking to a person, and it fetches the info you need from patient files, medications, clinical data, and much more.

Means, no more digging through piles of paperwork or struggling with complicated software!

As it talks to more healthcare workers and learns from more cases, it gets even better at its job.

So, it’s like having a super-smart assistant that’s always improving and making healthcare smoother for everyone involved.

👉 Read our Comprehensive Blog on Generative AI in DevOps

What are the Generative AI Opportunities of the Healthcare Software Product Owners

Generative AI in healthcare can be a game-changer for the healthcare software product owner.

It can significantly elevate their product by adding advanced capabilities to the existing features.

Here are a few examples.

1. Personalized Patient Interactions

Generative AI in healthcare offers more natural and personalized conversations with patients.

By understanding context, giving relevant responses, and adapting to individual preferences, it provides a more engaging and effective user experience.

2. Medical Advice and Diagnosis

Advanced generative AI models can provide medical advice and even preliminary diagnosis based on user input.

These models can understand complex medical language, interpret symptoms, and suggest appropriate actions or follow-up steps.

3. Health Education and Information

ERP Chatbots powered by Generative AI can deliver accurate and up-to-date health education and information to users.

They can explain medical terms, describe procedures, and answer questions about various health topics, helping patients to make outcome-driven decisions about their health.

4. Medication Management

Generative AI can provide dosage instructions and information about the potential side effects of medicines.

This leads to more effective medication management for patients, ultimately improving patient care outcomes.

5. Mental Health Support

Generative AI can be particularly valuable in mental health chatbots, where empathetic and nuanced responses are crucial.

Chatbots can provide emotional support, coping strategies, and resources for mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress.

6. Remote Monitoring and Follow-ups

Generative AI can conduct remote monitoring of patient’s health status and follow up on treatment plans.

It can collect data, track progress, and provide feedback or recommendations based on the information gathered.

7. Research and Data Analysis

You can leverage generative AI for research purposes and data analysis.

AI models can analyze large datasets, identify trends, and generate insights that can inform healthcare policies, practices, and innovations.

8. Emergency Response and Triage

Generative AI chatbots can assist in emergencies by providing immediate guidance, assessing the severity of symptoms, and directing users to appropriate medical resources or emergency services.

Overall, integrating Generative AI in healthcare chatbots opens up a wide range of opportunities to enhance patient care, improve healthcare accessibility, and drive innovation for a healthier tomorrow.

👉 You should also explore our recently published blog.