Should Chatbots Be Used to Obtain Informed Consent for Research?

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Bioethics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Chatbots are increasingly utilized as conversational agents across various domains.
• Their application is expanding into healthcare, including the critical process of obtaining informed consent for research.
• Current research explores chatbots as a tool to streamline the informed consent procedure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of chatbots in the informed consent process for health research.
• To assess whether chatbots can effectively replace human interaction in obtaining informed consent.
• To identify potential benefits and limitations of using chatbots in this context.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing studies on chatbot use in informed consent.
• Analysis of chatbot performance in knowledge transfer and time efficiency.
• Qualitative assessment of chatbot impact on trust, autonomy, and dignity.

Main Results:

• An initial study demonstrated that chatbots can reduce the time required for informed consent.
• Chatbots were found to be effective in transferring knowledge to potential participants.
• Concerns remain regarding the ability of chatbots to foster trust and uphold participant dignity.

Conclusions:

• While chatbots offer efficiency gains in informed consent, they may not fully replicate the nuances of human interaction.
• Further investigation and ethical considerations are crucial before widespread adoption in health research.
• Additional research and potential regulatory frameworks are necessary to guide the responsible use of chatbots in obtaining informed consent.