Chapter 18 - Empowering dialysis patients with human-computer interactions: Revolutionizing safety and experience with AI, mobile tech, and wearables

Miguel Hueso, Rafael Alvarez,Horacio Saggion, Alfredo Vellido

Abstract

The quality of life (QoL) for dialysis patients is poor due to the physically demanding and time-consuming nature of the treatment, which involves being attached to a dialysis machine for several hours each week, leading to significant psychological stress. Novel patient-centered technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), despite being associated with risks, are quickly arriving at the point of care and hold great promise to improve the QoL of patients. Generative AI and conversational interfaces, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, offer the potential for patients to communicate with machines using everyday language. This is particularly relevant given the widespread adoption of mobile devices and wearables (mHealth), which have transformed social interactions and could play a significant role in nephrology by facilitating the connection and communication of patients with dialysis machines. However, the use of natural language to provide instructions to machines has the risk of misinterpretation or ambiguity, leading to errors or unintended outcomes. In addition, these technologies generate large amounts of data and create a need for real-time integration and advanced analysis of complex, unstructured data to ensure usefulness to patients. The goal of this review is to explore human-computer interaction and the potential of generative AI and mHealth to empower dialysis patients to take control of their health by offering personalized insights and recommendations.

Artificial Intelligence and Brain-Computer Interfaces in Healthcare