Integrating Chatbots into Clinical Practice: Perspectives and Challenges Among General Practitioners
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Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming healthcare practices globally, with health chatbots emerging as digital tools designed to assist clinical decision-making and patient communication. Despite their increasing presence, little is known about how general practitioners (GPs) experience the integration of chatbots into their everyday medical routines. This study addresses the gap by asking: how do GPs make sense of and adapt to the presence of chatbot technologies in clinical practice? Using an interpretative phenomenological approach, the study explores the lived experiences of ten GPs in Indonesia, aged between 33 and 58 years, with professional experience ranging from 6 to 25 years, who actively use chatbots during consultations. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed to uncover patterns of emotional, ethical, and professional response. Four major themes emerged: the negotiation of clinical authority, emotional ambivalence, the burden of verification, and the redefinition of the doctor–patient relationship. These findings suggest that chatbot integration is not merely a technical adjustment, but a meaningful transformation in how physicians understand their roles and relationships within healthcare. The study enhances our understanding of digital transformation by revealing the human dimensions often overlooked in AI implementation and provides a foundation for future work in more empathetic and ethically attuned technology integration. However, the study is limited by its small sample size and focus on a single country, which may affect generalizability. Future research could explore cross-cultural comparisons, longitudinal impacts, and patient perspectives to enrich understanding of chatbot integration in diverse healthcare contexts.
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References
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