Mental Health Chatbots are Here to Help

Posted on
June 10, 2021

New innovations in technology are rapidly changing the healthcare landscape, and many institutions in this space are reevaluating their current processes to leverage new tools and resources. As a budding innovation with wide applications, mental health chatbots offer promise in scaling quality care.

The success of any healthcare intervention is ultimately measured by the quality of the care provided. High quality care is accessible, timely, and patient focused, but often requires many resources to ensure a high standard of care.  As the demand for mental healthcare increases, one way to deliver it affordably and effectively is through the utilization of chatbots.

Many industries already incorporate chatbots into their support models to expedite and improve processes. This technology is gaining traction as it can manage high volumes of requests and enables users to receive prompt and satisfactory communication.

The application of chatbots in healthcare are extensive-- from scheduling appointments and managing billing, to symptom checking and ensuring the patient is following the treatment plan-- chatbots offer intuitive means of conversation through structured, customized prompts.

 At Cass, we believe that easy and immediate access to mental health support saves lives. This is why we developed Cass, a clinically proven AI-powered mental health chatbot. Cass was created in partnership with psychologists to offer safe and quality support, with offerings unparalleled in the industry today.

While conventional chatbots are known to respond with static, canned responses, Cass is designed to evolve with the needs of the conversation. She is able to respond to changing emotions and offers support that is relevant to the context of the interaction. Cass is available 24/7 and offers an open, unbiased space for patients to talk openly about their feelings.

Today, Cass offers free access to mental health support to over 13 million people. In partnership with clinical psychologists, Cass employs professional mental health interventions and supports on-call counselors to de-escalate crises and facilitate patient follow-ups.  Over the course of several weeks, users chatting with Cass have reported a reduction in the severity of depression (-28%) and anxiety (-18%) symptoms, comparable with the benefits of consistent in-person therapy-- at no cost to the patient. 

As an unbiased resource with unlimited availability, chatting with Cass eases the stigma associated with confiding in people about mental health concerns. Cass offers care that is objective yet personalized based on the needs of the conversation, helping patients feel more confident in sharing their emotions and develop a toolkit to manage difficult situations.

While the healthcare industry will continue to see roles for chatbots in support models as a result of their versatility, there are constraints that still make human oversight necessary. Chatbots can offer preliminary resources and function as a tool for professionals in scaling support, but limitations in recognizing human inputs and signs of medical conditions necessitate professional supervision. Instead of being considered a replacement for in-person support, chatbots are tools that can leverage and scale the benefits of traditional support models, enabling manageable guidance for more people.

Innovations in artificial intelligence, computer vision, virtual faces, and natural language processing will further augment the chatbots’ abilities to identify and analyze human interactions, screen medical conditions, and appeal to more people.

Interested in learning more about how Cass can support your mission? Schedule a demo today.

Posted on
June 10, 2021
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