User reactions to COVID-19 screening chatbots from reputable providers

Alan R Dennis, Antino Kim, Mohammad Rahimi, Sezgin Ayabakan
2020 JAMIA Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association  
Objective The objective was to understand how people respond to COVID-19 screening chatbots. Materials and Methods We conducted an online experiment with 371 participants who viewed a COVID-19 screening session between a hotline agent (chatbot or human) and a user with mild or severe symptoms. Results The primary factor driving user response to screening hotlines (human or chatbot) is perceptions of the agent's ability. When ability is the same, users view chatbots no differently or more
more » ... ely than human agents. The primary factor driving perceptions of ability is the user's trust in the hotline provider, with a slight negative bias against chatbots' ability. Asians perceived higher ability and benevolence than Whites. Conclusion Ensuring that COVID-19 screening chatbots provide high quality service is critical, but not sufficient for widespread adoption. The key is to emphasize the chatbot's ability and assure users that it delivers the same quality as human agents.
doi:10.1093/jamia/ocaa167 pmid:32984890 pmcid:PMC7454579 fatcat:b5ir3gzjbrgpxgfouuac44ioqq