Empathy vs Neutrality: Designing and Evaluating a Natural Chatbot for the Healthcare Domain

Abstract

As lifestyle-related diseases rise due to unhealthy habits such as smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption, the role of Conversational AI in healthcare is increasingly significant. This study provides an empirical study on the design and evaluation of a natural and intuitive healthcare chatbot, specifically focusing on the impact of empathetic responses on user experience regarding lifestyle changes. Findings reveal a strong preference for the empathetic chatbot, with results showing statistical significance (p <0.001), highlighting the importance of empathy in enhancing user interaction with healthcare chatbots.