The capability of chatbots to manage chronic diseases: a systematic review

Background: Chatbots are easy to use and simulate a human conversation through a smartphoneor computer. In chronic diseases, chatbots can improve patient information, monitoring or treatmentadherence. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the ability ofchatbots to manage chronic diseases in ۲۰۲۲.Methods: This study was conducted based on PRISMA guidelines. Keywords were searched inPubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases from ۲۰۱۵ to ۱۴ October ۲۰۲۲ to identify Englishstudies related to the objective. First, the articles were selected based on the title, then their abstractswere reviewed, and finally, they were selected based on the full text. The included studieswere evaluated for quality and risk of bias using the CASP criteria by two authors. All non-English,non-original studies and studies that were not related to our purpose were excluded.Results: Of ۴۶۵۰ retrieved articles, ۷ met the inclusion criteria. Capabilities of chatbots in chronicdiseases include: monitoring the condition of cancer patients, checking adherence to treatment,improving health literacy, supporting decision-making, tracking the patient’s diet and activity,advising the patient, tracking environmental data and health signals for asthma patients.Conclusion: Conversational agents may be useful in chronic disease management. If the qualityof these softwares is not fully evaluated, they may be dangerous. If chatbots are effective and safe,they can be prescribed like a drug to manage chronic conditions.