Exploring the Utility of Digital Voice Assistants for Primary Care Patients, Including Those With Physical and Visual...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Assistive Technology

Background:

• Digital voice assistants (DVAs) are integrated into most smartphones, with widespread adult ownership.
• DVAs automate tasks like information retrieval, device management, and communication, with emerging health applications.
• Current research on DVA applicability in healthcare is limited and requires elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the utilization patterns of DVAs among primary care patients.
• To assess DVA use in purposely sampled clinics, including patients with visual and physical disabilities.
• To ascertain interest and potential utility of DVAs for health promotion and enhancement.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of adult participants was recruited from primary care, low vision, and physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics.
• A 46-item survey assessed knowledge, use, perceptions, interest in future studies, and demographics related to DVAs.
• Data were collected to understand DVA utility for promoting and enhancing health.

Main Results:

• A majority of participants (69.7%) had used a DVA, with 84.0% willing to use them in the future.
• Significant privacy (47.8%), security (54.5%), and confidentiality (51.7%) concerns were reported.
• Individuals with visual disabilities were more likely to have never used a DVA (39.0%) compared to those without (24.6%, P=.03).

Conclusions:

• DVA use remains low among individuals with physical and visual disabilities.
• DVAs may benefit individuals with visual disabilities for information-seeking tasks, but not significantly for those with physical disabilities.
• Further research with diverse samples and unbiased data collection is needed to address barriers to DVA adoption in these populations.