%0 Journal Article
%@ 1438-8871
%I JMIR Publications Inc.
%V 18
%N 1
%P e1
%T Improving Access to Online Health Information With Conversational Agents: A Randomized Controlled Experiment
%A Bickmore,Timothy W
%A Utami,Dina
%A Matsuyama,Robin
%A Paasche-Orlow,Michael K
%+ Northeastern University, College of Computer and Information Science, 360 Huntington Ave, 910-177, Boston, MA, 02115, United States, 1 6173735477, bickmore@ccs.neu.edu
%K embodied conversational agent
%K search user interface
%K information retrieval user interface
%K Web search
%K health literacy
%K relational agent
%K computer literacy
%K search engine
%K Internet
%D 2016
%7 04.01.2016
%9 Original Paper
%J J Med Internet Res
%G English
%X Background: Conventional Web-based search engines may be unusable by individuals with low health literacy for finding health-related information, thus precluding their use by this population. Objective: We describe a conversational search engine interface designed to allow individuals with low health and computer literacy identify and learn about clinical trials on the Internet. Methods: A randomized trial involving 89 participants compared the conversational search engine interface (n=43) to the existing conventional keyword- and facet-based search engine interface (n=46) for the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials database. Each participant performed 2 tasks: finding a clinical trial for themselves and finding a trial that met prespecified criteria. Results: Results indicated that all participants were more satisfied with the conversational interface based on 7-point self-reported satisfaction ratings (task 1: mean 4.9, SD 1.8 vs mean 3.2, SD 1.8, P<.001; task 2: mean 4.8, SD 1.9 vs mean 3.2, SD 1.7, P<.001) compared to the conventional Web form-based interface. All participants also rated the trials they found as better meeting their search criteria, based on 7-point self-reported scales (task 1: mean 3.7, SD 1.6 vs mean 2.7, SD 1.8, P=.01; task 2: mean 4.8, SD 1.7 vs mean 3.4, SD 1.9, P<.01). Participants with low health literacy failed to find any trials that satisfied the prespecified criteria for task 2 using the conventional search engine interface, whereas 36% (5/14) were successful at this task using the conversational interface (P=.05). Conclusions: Conversational agents can be used to improve accessibility to Web-based searches in general and clinical trials in particular, and can help decrease recruitment bias against disadvantaged populations. 
%M 26728964
%R 10.2196/jmir.5239
%U http://www.jmir.org/2016/1/e1/
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5239
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26728964