Voice-Controlled Intelligent Personal Assistants in Health Care: International Delphi Study

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Voice-controlled intelligent personal assistants (VIPAs) leverage AI for human-like interaction, with emerging applications in healthcare education, monitoring, and communication.
• Despite potential benefits, patient safety and privacy concerns present challenges to VIPA integration in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a future scenario for VIPAs in healthcare to guide procurement decisions.
• To assess the potential impact and integration of VIPAs within healthcare organizations.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage Delphi study was conducted with international experts in voice technology, medicine, academia, and health authorities.
• Twenty projections regarding VIPA development were formulated and evaluated by panelists using descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• Experts anticipate VIPAs will offer credible medical advice and engage in human-like conversations, though user experience may initially be imperfect.
• VIPAs are expected to significantly support elderly individuals and serve as tools for anamnesis, information dissemination, self-therapy, and communication for both patients and professionals.
• Despite ongoing privacy concerns, experts believe regulations will not prevent VIPAs from offering medical assistance.

Conclusions:

• VIPAs are projected to undergo significant technological advancement and gain user trust, leading to widespread healthcare adoption.
• VIPAs will primarily function as supportive tools for healthcare professionals, augmenting rather than replacing human medical staff.