Evaluation of a virtual dialogue method for breast cancer patient education
Abstract
Objective Virtual dialogue--a voice-activated, interactive computer model that enables a user to have an individual virtual conversation with a real person--was evaluated as a method to educate women about breast cancer. Virtual dialogues with breast cancer experts were developed and used in a field study by women with and without the disease to assess the method's effectiveness.Methods In a clinical setting, subjects engaged in one-on-one virtual dialogues with an oncologist and a breast surgeon, and completed automated pre-post instruments developed to measure the feasibility of the method, and subjects' knowledge gain and acceptance of the method.Results Seventy women, 39 with breast cancer and 31 without the disease, participated. The data demonstrated the feasibility and acceptance of the method, and significant learning gain across all subjects.Conclusion Virtual dialogues with knowledgeable health professionals can be a new and effective method for educating women about breast cancer.Practice implications Virtual dialogues may systematically comfort patients while providing them with comprehensive and reliable basic information about breast cancer. The method may also give health care providers more time to address their patients' specific concerns.
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Investigated uses of conversational agents include triage, diagnostics, counseling, health promotion, and training of health care professionals.
“The investigated uses for these systems include triage, diagnostics, counseling, health promotion, and training of health care professionals [1,4,11-16].”
From Effectiveness of Conversational Agents (Virtual Assistants) in Health Care: Protocol for a Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [12]
Within health care, conversational agents have been designed to automate specialized tasks to support health care professionals, patients, or at-risk populations.
“Within the health care field, conversational agents have been designed to automate specialized tasks to support health care professionals, patients, or at-risk populations [2,10-12].”
From Effectiveness of Conversational Agents (Virtual Assistants) in Health Care: Protocol for a Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [12]
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- Authors
- Harless, W. G., Zier, M. A., Harless, M. G., Duncan, R. C., Braun, M. A., Willey, S., Isaacs, C., & Warren, R. D.
- Affiliations
- Interactive Drama (United States) (US)
- University of Miami (US)
- George Mason University (US)
- Georgetown University Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zier, Marcia A.
- Venue
- Patient Education and Counseling
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-08
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 189-195
- ISSN
- 0738-3991 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1994626129
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.42
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Patient Education and Counseling (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5r44nr005103-03, 1r43nr005103-01)
- National Institute of Nursing Research (1R44NR05103, 1R43NR05103)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
- Keywords
- online discourse, breast cancer, patient education, interactive computer model, knowledge improvement, feasibility, acceptability, breast cancer patients, oncologists, breast surgeons, patient-provider communication
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Artificial Intelligence, Breast Neoplasms, Communication, Computer Simulation, Feasibility Studies, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Patient Education as Topic, Physician-Patient Relations, Surveys and Questionnaires, User-Computer Interface, Internet, Speech Recognition Software
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