The AI company Limbic developed a chatbot with the aim to explore the possibilities of AI simplifying the access to healthcare services for patients. A recent study, published in Nature Medicine, analyzed the influence of this chatbot, named Limbic Access, on referrals to the UK’s NHS Talking Therapies program for Anxiety and Depression, which comprises a range of scientifically backed psychological therapies suitable for adults with anxiety and depression.
The research studied data from 129,400 individuals who visited different websites to self-refer to the 28 various NHS Talking Therapies services throughout England. Half of these services incorporated the chatbot on their websites, while the other half utilized alternative data-gathering tools like web-based forms. The study observed a 15% increase in referrals from services that incorporated the Limbic chatbot throughout the three-month study period, contrasted with a 6% increase in referrals from services that did not use the chatbot.
Prominently, the availability of the chatbot led to a significant increase in referrals among minority demographics, including ethnic and sexual minorities. Referrals soared 179% among individuals who identify as nonbinary, 39% among Asian patients, and 40% among Black patients.
Notably, the researchers noted a key point in the report – the surge in patients being referred to the services did not result in longer wait times or a decrease in the number of clinical evaluations being conducted. This is due to the thorough data collected by the chatbot, which decreased the time clinicians needed to spend assessing patients. Consequently, this enhanced the assessments’ quality and freed up additional resources.
