We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Improving Access to Online Health Information With Conversational Agents: A Randomized Controlled Experiment.
- Authors
Bickmore, Timothy W; Utami, Dina; Matsuyama, Robin; Paasche-Orlow, Michael K
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Conventional Web-based search engines may be unusable by individuals with low health literacy for finding health-related information, thus precluding their use by this population.<bold>Objective: </bold>We describe a conversational search engine interface designed to allow individuals with low health and computer literacy identify and learn about clinical trials on the Internet.<bold>Methods: </bold>A randomized trial involving 89 participants compared the conversational search engine interface (n=43) to the existing conventional keyword- and facet-based search engine interface (n=46) for the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials database. Each participant performed 2 tasks: finding a clinical trial for themselves and finding a trial that met prespecified criteria.<bold>Results: </bold>Results indicated that all participants were more satisfied with the conversational interface based on 7-point self-reported satisfaction ratings (task 1: mean 4.9, SD 1.8 vs mean 3.2, SD 1.8, P<.001; task 2: mean 4.8, SD 1.9 vs mean 3.2, SD 1.7, P<.001) compared to the conventional Web form-based interface. All participants also rated the trials they found as better meeting their search criteria, based on 7-point self-reported scales (task 1: mean 3.7, SD 1.6 vs mean 2.7, SD 1.8, P=.01; task 2: mean 4.8, SD 1.7 vs mean 3.4, SD 1.9, P<.01). Participants with low health literacy failed to find any trials that satisfied the prespecified criteria for task 2 using the conventional search engine interface, whereas 36% (5/14) were successful at this task using the conversational interface (P=.05).<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Conversational agents can be used to improve accessibility to Web-based searches in general and clinical trials in particular, and can help decrease recruitment bias against disadvantaged populations.
- Subjects
MEDICAL informatics; RANDOMIZED controlled trials; SEARCH engines; INFORMATION storage &; retrieval systems; MEDICAL databases; INTERNET in medicine; HEALTH education; CLINICAL trials; COMPARATIVE studies; COMPUTER literacy; DATABASES; INFORMATION retrieval; INTERNET; RESEARCH methodology; MEDICAL cooperation; RESEARCH; RESEARCH funding; SUBJECT headings; USER interfaces; INFORMATION literacy; EVALUATION research
- Publication
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2016, Vol 18, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1439-4456
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.2196/jmir.5239