Table 1.
List of Pre-Analytical Applications for a Chatbot
| Question | A Chatbot Application Could… |
|---|---|
| Are the patient's clinical history and current symptoms relevant to the suspected infection? | … improve the current workflow by allowing clinicians to input relevant patient information and symptoms easily and quickly, which could help guide the selection of the appropriate specimen and testing method. |
| Is the specimen of sufficient volume and quality for the desired tests? | … provide guidance on the appropriate volume and quality of the specimen needed for the desired tests and alert laboratory staff if the specimen does not meet these criteria. |
| Is the appropriate specimen being collected for the suspected infection? | … ensure that the appropriate specimen is being collected by providing guidance on the specific type of specimen that is needed for the suspected infection and the proper collection method. |
| Is the specimen being collected and transported in the proper manner to maintain specific integrity? | … ensure that the specimen is being collected and transported in the proper manner by providing guidance on how to handle and transport the specimen to maintain its integrity. |
| Is the specimen being transported to the laboratory in a timely manner? | … improve the timeliness of specimen transport to the laboratory by providing reminders and alerts to clinicians to ensure that specimens are delivered in a timely manner. |
| Is the correct microbiological testing method being used for the suspected infection? | … assist in selecting the appropriate microbiological testing method by providing guidance based on the patient's clinical history and symptoms, as well as the suspected infections. |
| Are all necessary quality-control measures being taken to ensure the accuracy of the testing? | … improve the accuracy of testing by providing reminders to laboratory staff to perform necessary quality-control measures. |
| Is the laboratory properly equipped and staffed to perform the testing? | … assist in ensuring that the laboratory is properly equipped and staffed by providing reminders and alerts for equipment maintenance and staff training. |
| Is the laboratory following the proper procedures for handling and processing the specimen? | … improve the handling and processing of the specimen in the laboratory by providing guidance on the proper procedures to follow. |
| Is the laboratory using the most up-to-date methods and technology for microbiological testing? | … assist in keeping the laboratory up to date with the latest methods and technology by providing alerts for updates and new technology. |
| Are there any potential interferences or contaminants that could affect the accuracy of the test results? | … identify potential interference or contaminants that could affect test results by providing alerts and reminders to laboratory staff to consider these factors during testing. |
This list was generated by ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) by telling it to “provide a list of the most important pre-analytical questions and the application of how chatbots could help to solve them.” The output was only slightly adapted with human inputs.