Secondary Care

COVID-19 chatbot published to deal with common questions

Healthcare Communications, the digital first patient communications specialist, has this week launched a chatbot to provide answers to 100 common questions about COVID-19.

The chatbot provides instant answers to the most common questions by using information from NHS England, NHS Wales, Public Health England and Gov.uk.

The tool can be added to a trust’s website or can be sent to patients by SMS. It aims to reduce the burden on the NHS by reducing phone traffic and enquiries by providing quick advice when it’s needed.

The company said it’s currently working with a large trust to embed it quickly into the trust’s website and has received enquiries from across the globe.

Kenny Bloxham, Managing Director, Healthcare Communications said “In this challenging time, we need to embrace new ways of getting information out to the public that is instant, up to date and credible.”

“Hospital switchboards and 111 are overwhelmed at the moment and there is so much conflicting information on Covid-19 in the media. This is where a digital chatbot can step in to alleviate pressure from front line staff and help patients access the right information from verified sources that is updated daily.”

A demo of the chatbot is available here: