Development of a Chatbot to Support Cardiovascular Risk Understanding Among Primary Health Care Patients

Abstract

Assessing cardiovascular risk using validated clinical scales helps identify individuals at high risk and guides preventive interventions. However, interpreting these results can be challenging for patients, often requiring ongoing communication with healthcare professionals—who, in turn, face time and resource constraints, particularly within Primary Health Care. In this context, chatbots can facilitate communication and support self-care. This study aimed to propose a chatbot and evaluate its acceptance as a tool to help Primary Health Care patients understand their cardiovascular risk. The research consisted of three phases: development, demonstration, and evaluation. Initially, a literature review was conducted to inform the development of the solution. Based on the findings, a feature for assessing cardiovascular risk and generating individual reports was integrated into "TiaBet," a chatbot designed to support patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. During the demonstration phase, seven healthcare professionals tested the feature. Subsequently, a questionnaire was administered to assess four constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, and the appropriateness of the information provided. The results showed positive evaluations across all constructs, with mean scores above 4.2 on a 1-to-5 scale and large effect sizes, indicating acceptance of the solution by the participating professionals. Despite limitations related to the small number of participants and the lack of testing in clinical practice, the results highlight the technology's potential as a resource to support communication regarding cardiovascular risk. Future studies could evaluate its application in different contexts and its effects on patient understanding, treatment adherence, and clinical outcomes.