Would you use a ChatBot ( a messaging... - Prostate Cancer N...

Prostate Cancer Network

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Would you use a ChatBot ( a messaging box that imitates human interaction) to get prostate cancer information?

Darryl profile imageDarrylPartner95 Voters

Please select one:

17 Replies
doc1947g profile image
doc1947g

Would the ChatBot be able to answer all the questions.

Darryl profile image
DarrylPartner in reply todoc1947g

As best as possible. You can play a "stump the ChatBot" game and help us to improve the database. For now, we're/I'm trying to learn if the community might find chatbots helpful, annoying or a waste of our development time during 2021.

doc1947g profile image
doc1947g in reply toDarryl

I am 73 y.o. and was first diagnosted Lymphoma LNH Marginal Zone in the Bone Marrow in July 2019, then in March 2020 I was G(4+3=7) Grade 3 PCa and was put on ADT and VMAT-RT.This was when Idiscovered HU and found a lot of answers to my worries.

Yesterday, from my haemaro-oncologist I got FANTASTIC news.

My 2 cancers are dormant.

cesces profile image
cesces

I didn't see my answer. So here it is.

Even the best chat bots are for chit.

They waste your time.

Even simple phone trees you are forced to use when you call your bank are crap.

And that is a far simpler and limited domain than healthcare.

So anything likely to be fielded in the next 10 years is going to waste the time of newly diagnosed patients, when they can least afford it.

Certainly people will be interested. It will generate traffic, but even a well executed one will generate value only for a small percentage of users.

These things are devilishly difficult to do right.

Before you automate anything like this, you need to first get it right with a human model.

Automating non-working concept, is pretty doomed to failure

Prototyping a human operated concept is very expensive to do properly.

Then properly automating what you have learned is more expensive, not less.

Darryl profile image
DarrylPartner in reply tocesces

thanks for your thoughts. Just as an FYI regarding expense. Fortunately, we have a mostly pro bono offer for IT, AI and coding, etc development.

JRPnSD profile image
JRPnSD

In order to be an informed vote, I would need to see an example, see resources/references used and any disclaimers that would be posted.

Darryl profile image
DarrylPartner in reply toJRPnSD

Thanks for your reply. I'm only asking what our community thinks about using ChatBots in general, not to predict what you might think about a ChatBot that has not yet been developed.

JPnSD profile image
JPnSD in reply toDarryl

If developed....these would be my concerns.

SeosamhM profile image
SeosamhM

Interesting poll. Unfortunately, while chatbots dehumanize, I think we need to prepare for the next generation to suffer from PCa who will be used to this technology. A basic repository of searchable information (cuz that's what a chatbot does) would be nice.

Currumpaw profile image
Currumpaw

Lawd Awmighty Darryl!

Us human people are a messy species. We don't fit well into a box or a bot.

Four of thirty-three are all for ChatBots.

Thanks for thinking outside the--"bot"!

Currumpaw

OldTiredSailor profile image
OldTiredSailor

The future is AI and we all need to get used to it - BUT I have yet to interact with any AI (Chatbox), which came close to providing the support I can get with various search engines and forums for detailed Q&A. I expect that in the near future we will not be able to tell if we are interacting with a computer or a live person in an online chat but for now I just find the computer annoying, simplistic, and easily confused.

And, I am saying this as a computer professional since 1969. I wrote real time process control software for very hot things that go BOOM if not controlled properly.

However, if your developer is doing it pro bono - then by all means work on it and I would be glad to be a test subject / annoying user.

Mjex profile image
Mjex

Assuming the ChatBot could work as a shorthand search engine, I think it would be useful. Often, I have to refer to earlier posts to figure out what a current discussion is about or what the acronym means.

JuliesHusband profile image
JuliesHusband

Prostate cancer is personal, computers are not.

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n

Only if she has a sexy voice........

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 01/06/2021 6:52 PM EST

Bethpage profile image
Bethpage

Chatboxes are generally extemely helpful as they are manned. ChatBot leaves a lot to be desired, as do the telephone automated systems.

cesanon profile image
cesanon

Daryl, followup comment:

Even simple telephone automated systems are hard to get right.

BUT>>>>>> if you are going to do this, attempt to pick out a very very narrow question to answer.

Pragmatically it should be one with a built-in revenue model. Even something simple will be expensive. Without some way to fund this, it will be destined for certain mediocrity and irrelevance.

Maybe "What to do if you have just been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer" might maybe possibly be a question you can answer.

With lots of guard rails so that as soon as things get logically complicated (which it will very very early in the conversation) you have helpful and productive ways to offload the discussion in a manner that makes the person feel they spent their time well.

I would encourage you to attempt to crowdsource some content for this from the participants of this forum. You have no shortage of talent here, but as you know, it is a very very steep bell curve, isn't it. LOL

But it would seem to me. Even cutting corners this is a million-dollar plus project.

B_Sprout profile image
B_Sprout

Not against it. Sounds like it could be good. I am just not informed about using a chat box.

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