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ChatRheum: Developing a Chatbot to Answer Rheumatology-Related Questions

The Problem

Many people in Canada struggle to receive timely rheumatology care because there are not enough specialists to meet rising demand. Long wait times make it hard for patients to deal with health issues and feel supported when new concerns arise. We need new tools that improve timely access to reliable rheumatology information and answer patients’ questions.

The Research

We are developing ChatRheum, a chatbot that provides high-quality answers to patient questions. The research involves identifying trusted information sources, using those sources to train the chatbot, and then testing its answers against those from rheumatologists and other artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT.

The Impact

A chatbot like ChatRheum will provide more timely answers to patients’ questions, and by reducing the time rheumatologists spend answering routine questions, would allow them to see more patients sooner, shortening rheumatology wait times. This would improve access to care, ease pressure on the healthcare system, and give patients clear and reliable information when they need it.

Research Study

To improve rheumatology care and address peoples’ questions in a timely manner, this study is developing ChatRheum, a chatbot that gives accurate and easy-to-understand answers to patients’ questions. This project will identify trusted information sources, train the chatbot using those sources, and test its performance against other artificial intelligence tools and rheumatologists’ expert opinion to see how well it supports patient care.

Learn More

Research Scientist

Carrie Ye

Research Scientist, Rheumatology, MD, MPH, FRCPC

Carrie Ye is an Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. She has a rheumatology practice focused on osteoporosis and rheumatic toxicities of cancer immunotherapy. She is the Medical Director of the Northern Alberta Osteoporosis Program (NAOP) and the Clinical Lead of the Canadian Research Group of Rheumatology in Immuno-Oncology (CanRIO). She completed medical school and rheumatology training at the University of Alberta, and a Master’s degree in Public Health, clinical epidemiology, at Harvard School of Public Health.

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