Applications of Chatbots in Improving Patient Care Outcomes: A scoping review

Abstract

This review explored the application of chatbots in healthcare, focusing on patient monitoring, personalised care and medical services. It examined the potential of chatbots to improve patient outcomes through artificial intelligence-driven technologies, addressing challenges such as data security and system integration. This scoping review, conducted from January to March 2025, adhered to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A thorough literature search was performed across Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed, using keywords such as "patient care", "outcome", and "chatbot*". After screening for relevance and applying inclusion criteria, a total of 70 articles were analysed, focusing on chatbots' roles in improving patient care outcomes, data management and communication. Data charting was conducted by using a data extraction form to capture study characteristics, chatbot applications, outcomes and reported challenges. This study highlighted the surge in chatbot applications in healthcare from 2018 to 2024, focusing on 7 key themes: (1) increasing access to healthcare, (2) patient education and awareness (3) supporting clinical decision-making, (4) improving patient-healthcare professional communication, (5) chronic disease and symptom management, (6) telehealth and remote monitoring and (7) administrative support and workflow optimisation. Chatbots demonstrate significant potential to enhance patient care outcomes by improving access, communication, education and chronic disease management. Despite growing adoption of chatbots, challenges related to data security and system integration remain. Future research should focus on standardised evaluation frameworks and real-world clinical effectiveness.