Often when patients want to find out more about a symptom or condition before visiting a professional healthcare service – their first port of call is probably to look online. Yet when it comes to medical advice on the internet, there is a lot of unverified information out there.

Even when people are able to find clinically approved advice, this tends to be generic, leaving them unsure as to whether or not it is relevant to their specific needs.

Patients can benefit from more effective screening and assessment tools powered by AI.

We commissioned Open Dialog, a leading artificial intelligence agency, to build our expert-driven AI chatbot. It guides the patient through a series of questions about their symptoms and is able to identify the likely cause of their musculoskeletal pain, even suggesting professional intervention in more serious cases.

Automatic screening processes like these help to ease high volumes of patient enquiries for organisations like the NHS and empower the patient to take control of their pain through self-care.

In some cases, it can help to keep people out of healthcare systems entirely, by giving them the confidence to assess and self-treat minor ailments in the comfort of their own home.

Patients want to feel supported in their efforts at self-care and are highly motivated to recover as quickly as possible, getting back to the activities they enjoy.

Often patients are frustrated by a lack of urgency when stuck in overstretched healthcare systems, waiting for appointments or specialist referrals. By providing immediate access to clinically proven advice, it means faster recovery periods can take place, improving the overall patient experience.