BC CANCER: CONNECTED CHATBOT TO IMPROVE PATIENT SUPPORT
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
m
SYNOPSIS
Sa
BC Cancer was a provincial government–funded treatment and research organization that provided
comprehensive cancer care in partnership with regional health authorities in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
As part of its commitment to providing person-centred care, BC Cancer introduced a connected chatbot to
improve patients’ access to information and reduce the demands on the registered nurses (RNs) who supported
telephone lines. This connected chatbot extended the functionalities of the standard text-based chatbot on the
n
BC Cancer website, allowing users to continue their conversations with a nurse if the chatbot could not answer
tio
their questions. As project manager, Justine Sanders oversaw the development and implementation of the
connected chatbot. A proof of concept of the connected chatbot was run in Victoria, BC, from March to June
2022. While this allowed her working group to obtain feedback from nurses, other user data regarding the
lu
value of the connected chatbot was limited and inconclusive. Following the completion of the proof of
concept, Sanders faced several decisions regarding the future rollout of the connected chatbot.
So
OBJECTIVES
• Identify the benefits and challenges of implementing a chatbot or conversational artificial intelligence
(AI) in a complex, multi-stakeholder healthcare setting.
• Identify selection criteria for evaluating chatbot technology solutions.
• Describe the risks that arise during the implementation and rollout of new digital health solutions.
• Explain how digital health solutions should be designed to combine the best elements of digital
technology and human systems.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Sa
1. Why are chatbots being used in oncology (cancer care)?
2. What are the benefits and challenges of implementing a connected chatbot at BC Cancer?
3. What criteria should BC Cancer use to decide whether it should continue with its Kommunicate-based
connected chatbot solution or select a new enterprise-level conversational AI platform?
4. How should BC Cancer proceed with the next stage of the connected chatbot rollout? Is it ready to
n
deploy the connected chatbot system across the whole province, or are more pilots necessary? If more
tio
pilots are needed, where should they take place?
5. What are the benefits and challenges of centralized and decentralized connected chatbot models?
Based on this analysis, what connected chatbot model should BC Cancer pursue?
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
,ANALYSIS
1. Why are chatbots being used in oncology (cancer care)?
Chatbots, also known as conversational artificial intelligence (AI) and digital assistants, are computer
programs that simulate human conversations through text or voice interfaces. They can use predefined or
generated responses based on different sources of knowledge. AI and machine learning techniques allow
e
chatbots to learn from data and user feedback and produce more natural and relevant responses. Chatbots
have been applied in various domains—for example, providing customer services, facilitating pedagogy,
pl
offering personal assistance, and delivering mental and physical healthcare.
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
5. What are the benefits and challenges of centralized and decentralized connected chatbot
m
models? Based on this analysis, what connected chatbot model should BC Cancer pursue?
Sa
To begin this discussion, it is important to first understand how BC Cancer operates. The case describes the
structure of BC Cancer and the six regional centres (see case Exhibits 1 and 2, which provide greater detail).
Historically, BC Cancer has used a decentralized model for the telephone nursing line, as each regional
centre has serviced its respective telephone nursing line to best suit regional needs.
n
The structure during the proof of concept was decentralized by default, as the chatbot function was only
tio
available to Victoria patients and connected local users with a BC Cancer–Victoria nurse. As the chatbot
continues to develop and improve, BC Cancer must consider how it wants to offer this feature. When
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT -1: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF THE CONNECTED CHATBOT TO
STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholders Benefits Challenges
Users (patients • improves patient access to reliable • trusting the information provided by the
and their information chatbot
families) • allows additional family members to • the absence of a human voice during text-
access information based chat with a nurse
• reduces dependency on meetings with • the potential for multi-faceted inquiries to lead
clinicians to access information to longer conversations via the chat function
• provides hearing-impaired users with an
information pathway
Nurses
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
m
SYNOPSIS
Sa
BC Cancer was a provincial government–funded treatment and research organization that provided
comprehensive cancer care in partnership with regional health authorities in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
As part of its commitment to providing person-centred care, BC Cancer introduced a connected chatbot to
improve patients’ access to information and reduce the demands on the registered nurses (RNs) who supported
telephone lines. This connected chatbot extended the functionalities of the standard text-based chatbot on the
n
BC Cancer website, allowing users to continue their conversations with a nurse if the chatbot could not answer
tio
their questions. As project manager, Justine Sanders oversaw the development and implementation of the
connected chatbot. A proof of concept of the connected chatbot was run in Victoria, BC, from March to June
2022. While this allowed her working group to obtain feedback from nurses, other user data regarding the
lu
value of the connected chatbot was limited and inconclusive. Following the completion of the proof of
concept, Sanders faced several decisions regarding the future rollout of the connected chatbot.
So
OBJECTIVES
• Identify the benefits and challenges of implementing a chatbot or conversational artificial intelligence
(AI) in a complex, multi-stakeholder healthcare setting.
• Identify selection criteria for evaluating chatbot technology solutions.
• Describe the risks that arise during the implementation and rollout of new digital health solutions.
• Explain how digital health solutions should be designed to combine the best elements of digital
technology and human systems.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
Sa
1. Why are chatbots being used in oncology (cancer care)?
2. What are the benefits and challenges of implementing a connected chatbot at BC Cancer?
3. What criteria should BC Cancer use to decide whether it should continue with its Kommunicate-based
connected chatbot solution or select a new enterprise-level conversational AI platform?
4. How should BC Cancer proceed with the next stage of the connected chatbot rollout? Is it ready to
n
deploy the connected chatbot system across the whole province, or are more pilots necessary? If more
tio
pilots are needed, where should they take place?
5. What are the benefits and challenges of centralized and decentralized connected chatbot models?
Based on this analysis, what connected chatbot model should BC Cancer pursue?
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
,ANALYSIS
1. Why are chatbots being used in oncology (cancer care)?
Chatbots, also known as conversational artificial intelligence (AI) and digital assistants, are computer
programs that simulate human conversations through text or voice interfaces. They can use predefined or
generated responses based on different sources of knowledge. AI and machine learning techniques allow
e
chatbots to learn from data and user feedback and produce more natural and relevant responses. Chatbots
have been applied in various domains—for example, providing customer services, facilitating pedagogy,
pl
offering personal assistance, and delivering mental and physical healthcare.
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
5. What are the benefits and challenges of centralized and decentralized connected chatbot
m
models? Based on this analysis, what connected chatbot model should BC Cancer pursue?
Sa
To begin this discussion, it is important to first understand how BC Cancer operates. The case describes the
structure of BC Cancer and the six regional centres (see case Exhibits 1 and 2, which provide greater detail).
Historically, BC Cancer has used a decentralized model for the telephone nursing line, as each regional
centre has serviced its respective telephone nursing line to best suit regional needs.
n
The structure during the proof of concept was decentralized by default, as the chatbot function was only
tio
available to Victoria patients and connected local users with a BC Cancer–Victoria nurse. As the chatbot
continues to develop and improve, BC Cancer must consider how it wants to offer this feature. When
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT -1: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF THE CONNECTED CHATBOT TO
STAKEHOLDERS
Stakeholders Benefits Challenges
Users (patients • improves patient access to reliable • trusting the information provided by the
and their information chatbot
families) • allows additional family members to • the absence of a human voice during text-
access information based chat with a nurse
• reduces dependency on meetings with • the potential for multi-faceted inquiries to lead
clinicians to access information to longer conversations via the chat function
• provides hearing-impaired users with an
information pathway
Nurses
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
