Abstract
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of chatbots in enhancing patient knowledge, alleviating psychological distress, and improving compliance compared to traditional methods among surgical patients.
Design: A systematic review.
Methods: Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies involving patients undergoing surgeries under general anaesthesia were reviewed. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomised controlled trials and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool for non-randomised controlled trials.
Results: Nine studies with 1476 patients were included in this review. Conversational agents significantly improved perioperative knowledge, psychological distress and compliance with preoperative instructions, exercise adherence, and follow-up attendance in the short term. However, sustain effects on anxiety and long-term compliance remain unclear, requiring further investigation.
Conclusion: This review highlights the potential benefits of conversational agents in enhancing patient knowledge, reducing psychological distress, and improving compliance. However, more robust clinical trials are required to confirm these findings and optimise the features of conversational agents for surgical patient care.
Impact: Our work suggests the potential of conversational agents to not only promote communication among healthcare providers, patients, and their families but also improve outcomes for patients undergoing surgery.
This review addressed the problem of limited effectiveness in conventional patient education for surgical patients. The findings indicate that conversational agents may effectively enhance patient knowledge and compliance and reduce psychological distress for patients undergoing surgery. The findings have implications for healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers in surgical settings, where conversational agents can optimise preoperative and postoperative patient support.
Notes
References:
Anthony, C. A., Rojas, E. O., Keffala, V., Glass, N. A., Shah, A. S., Miller, B. J., Hogue, M., Willey, M. C., Karam, M., & Marsh, J. L. (2020). Acceptance and commitment therapy delivered via a mobile phone messaging robot to decrease postoperative opioid use in patients with orthopedic trauma: Randomised controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(7), e17750. https://doi.org/10.2196/17750
Bray, L., Sharpe, A., Gichuru, P., Fortune, P.-M., Blake, L., & Appleton, V. (2020). The Acceptability and Impact of the Xploro Digital Therapeutic Platform to Inform and Prepare Children for Planned Procedures in a Hospital: Before and After Evaluation Study [Original Paper]. J Med Internet Res, 22(8), e17367. https://doi.org/10.2196/17367
Blasco, J. M., et al. "A Virtual Assistant to Guide Early Postoperative Rehabilitation after Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Pilot Randomised Trial." Bioengineering, vol. 11, no. 2, 2024, 152, https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11020152.
Campbell, K. J., Louie, P. K., Bohl, D. D., Edmiston, T., Mikhail, C., Li, J., Khorsand, D. A., Levine, B. R., & Gerlinger, T. L. (2019). A novel, automated text-messaging system is effective in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 101(2), 145–151. https://doi.org/10.2106/jbjs.17.01505
Ferré, F., Boeschlin, N., Bastiani, B., Castel, A., Ferrier, A., Bosch, L., Muscari, F., Kurrek, M., Fourcade, O., Piau, A., & Minville, V. (2020). Improving provision of preanaesthetic information through use of the digital conversational agent “MyAnesth”: Prospective observational trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(12), e20455. https://doi.org/10.2196/20455
Scott, E. J., et al. "Automated Text-Messaging after Hip Arthroscopy: A Randomised Controlled Trial of 'Post-Op Buddy.'" Arthroscopy, vol. 38, no. 5, 2022, pp. 1488-1495.e5, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arthro.2021.09.030.
Yahagi, M., et al. "Comparison of Conventional Anesthesia Nurse Education and an Artificial Intelligence Chatbot (ChatGPT) Intervention on Preoperative Anxiety: A Randomised Controlled Trial." Journal of Perianesthesia Nursing, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2023.12.005.
Yue, R. X., Li, J. K., Yue, S. M., Li, Y. P., & Sun, B. J. (2023). Application of AI chatbots in the continuous care of patients after osteoporotic fracture surgery. Journal of Nursing, 38(14), 13–17.
Sigma Membership
Pi Iota at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Systematic Review
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Instrument/Tool Development, Acute Care, Chatbots
Recommended Citation
Ho, Chung Man and Choi, Mei Ping Priscilla, "Effects of Chatbot on Surgical Patients: A Systematic Review" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 1.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/1
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Effects of Chatbot on Surgical Patients: A Systematic Review
Seattle, Washington, USA
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of chatbots in enhancing patient knowledge, alleviating psychological distress, and improving compliance compared to traditional methods among surgical patients.
Design: A systematic review.
Methods: Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies involving patients undergoing surgeries under general anaesthesia were reviewed. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomised controlled trials and the Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool for non-randomised controlled trials.
Results: Nine studies with 1476 patients were included in this review. Conversational agents significantly improved perioperative knowledge, psychological distress and compliance with preoperative instructions, exercise adherence, and follow-up attendance in the short term. However, sustain effects on anxiety and long-term compliance remain unclear, requiring further investigation.
Conclusion: This review highlights the potential benefits of conversational agents in enhancing patient knowledge, reducing psychological distress, and improving compliance. However, more robust clinical trials are required to confirm these findings and optimise the features of conversational agents for surgical patient care.
Impact: Our work suggests the potential of conversational agents to not only promote communication among healthcare providers, patients, and their families but also improve outcomes for patients undergoing surgery.
This review addressed the problem of limited effectiveness in conventional patient education for surgical patients. The findings indicate that conversational agents may effectively enhance patient knowledge and compliance and reduce psychological distress for patients undergoing surgery. The findings have implications for healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers in surgical settings, where conversational agents can optimise preoperative and postoperative patient support.
Description
This is a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of chatbot on knowledge, psychological distress and compliance to prescribed treatment for patients undergoing surgeries. It is found that chatbots could effectively enhance patient knowledge and compliance and reduce psychological distress of surgical patients.