MATERIALS: MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies published before May 2023 on the benefits and harm of chatbots used in the perioperative period. The major outcomes assessed were patient satisfaction and knowledge acquisition. Untransformed proportion (PR) with a 95% CI was used for the analysis of continuous data. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias assessment tool version 2 and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies.
RESULTS: Eight trials comprising 1073 adults from four countries were included. Most interventions (n = 5, 62.5%) targeted perioperative care in orthopaedics. Most interventions use rule-based chatbots (n = 7, 87.5%). This meta-analysis found that the majority of the participants were satisfied with the use of chatbots (mean proportion=0.73; 95% CI: 0.62 to 0.85), and agreed that they gained knowledge in their perioperative period (mean proportion=0.80; 95% CI: 0.74 to 0.87).
CONCLUSION: This review demonstrates that perioperative chatbots are well received by the majority of patients with no reports of harm to-date. Chatbots may be considered as an aid in perioperative communication between patients and clinicians and shared decision-making. These findings may be used to guide the healthcare providers, policymakers and researchers for enhancing perioperative care.
PURPOSE: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of chatbots for providing breast cancer education. By examining patient satisfaction with and the usability and efficacy of chatbot interventions, this study seeks to support the integration of chatbot technology into cancer education.
METHODS: This review, which was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, included studies from MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to May 2024. The main inclusion criterion was chatbot interventions for breast cancer education. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager and Open Meta-Analyst software.
RESULTS: Of the 208 articles initially identified, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria, involving a total of 1342 women with early-stage or at-risk hereditary breast cancer. The meta-analysis revealed that most participants (85 to 99%) reported high satisfaction with chatbot interventions for breast cancer education, with no significant differences in satisfaction compared to genetic counselors or physicians. The chatbot interventions also showed positive effects on knowledge acquisition (mean proportion = 90.8%) and alleviated patients' symptoms significantly more than routine care.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that chatbots can effectively provide personalized and interactive educational support, enhancing patients' understanding and retention of disease-related information. The integration of chatbot technology into educational programs can empower patients, ultimately promoting breast cancer awareness and prevention.