Appl Clin Inform 2019; 10(02): 286-294
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1687863
Research Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Pediatrician Attitudes toward Digital Voice Assistant Technology Use in Clinical Practice

Jayme L. Wilder
1   Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
2   Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
,
Devin Nadar
3   Innovation & Digital Health Accelerator, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
,
Nitin Gujral
3   Innovation & Digital Health Accelerator, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
,
Benjamin Ortiz
4   Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey, United States
,
Robert Stevens
4   Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey, United States
,
Faye Holder-Niles
1   Division of General Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
2   Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
,
John Lee
2   Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
5   Division of Allergy and Immunology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
,
Jonathan M. Gaffin
2   Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
6   Division of Respiratory Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
› Author Affiliations
Funding This study was supported by NIH grants K23AI106945 and R01 ES030100 (PI: J.M.G.).
Further Information

Publication History

11 December 2018

17 March 2019

Publication Date:
01 May 2019 (online)

Abstract

Objective Digital voice assistant technology provides unique opportunities to enhance clinical practice. We aimed to understand factors influencing pediatric providers' current and potential use of this technology in clinical practice.

Methods We surveyed pediatric providers regarding current use and interest in voice technology in the workplace. Regression analyses evaluated provider characteristics associated with voice technology use. Among respondents not interested in voice technology, we elicited individual concerns.

Results Among 114 respondents, 19 (16.7%) indicated current use of voice technology in clinical practice, and 51 (44.7%) indicated use of voice technology for nonclinical purposes. Fifty-four (47.4%) reported willingness to try digital voice assistant technology in the clinical setting. Providers who had longer clinic visits (odds ratio [OR], 3.11, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04, 9.33, p = 0.04), fewer patient encounters per day (p = 0.02), and worked in hospital-based practices (OR, 2.95, 95% CI, 1.08, 8.07, p = 0.03) were more likely to currently use voice technology in the office. Younger providers (p = 0.02) and those confident in the accuracy of voice technology (OR, 3.05, 95% CI, 1.38, 6.74, p = 0.005) were more willing to trial digital voice assistants in the clinical setting. Among respondents unwilling or unsure about trying voice assistant technology, the most common reasons elicited were concerns related to its accuracy (35%), efficiency (33%), and privacy (28%).

Conclusion This national survey evaluating use and attitudes toward digital voice assistant technology by pediatric providers found that while only one-eighth of pediatric providers currently use digital voice assistant technology in the clinical setting, almost half are interested in trying it in the future. Younger provider age and confidence in the accuracy of voice technology are associated with provider interest in using voice technology in the clinical setting. Future development of voice technology for clinical use will need to consider accuracy of information, efficiency of use, and patient privacy for successful integration into the workplace.

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

This study was reviewed by the Boston Children's Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB), and was deemed exempt from IRB oversight.


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