UTHealth Houston researchers awarded $1.3M to develop a conversational AI platform for patient care
By advancing conversational tools, or chatbots, older patients can clarify their healthcare priorities before meeting their clinician. Through a structured AI guided script, the system helps patients identify what matters most to them and generates a health priorities note to support communication and decision making with their physician. According to primary investigator Aanand Naik, patients and caregivers are rarely given the opportunity to discuss their health goals, as time constraints, unfamiliarity, and discomfort often limit these conversations.
For older adults managing multiple chronic conditions, care can feel fragmented, as patients often consult multiple specialists for different issues such as heart disease, neurological disorders, or conditions like diabetes and arthritis. Establishing health priorities before appointments allows patients time to reflect on their goals, enabling clinicians to align treatment plans with desired outcomes. Early findings indicate that patients and caregivers feel more engaged and heard through this process, reporting reduced treatment burden and better alignment of care with their priorities. In collaboration with America’s Physician Groups, UTHealth Houston researchers will pilot the AI program across two Medicare managed care practices.
Through this AI conversational tool, researchers aim to foster more collaborative and meaningful interactions between patients and clinicians, improving decision making and overall quality of care. The project is part of an $11.4 million initiative by the John A. Hartford Foundation to advance age friendly healthcare and public health approaches. The UTHealth Houston research team includes Rafael SamperTernent, Abdelaziz Alsharawy, Dustan Brennan, and Xiaoqian Jiang, alongside external collaborators Jennifer Arney Cuevas from Texas A&M University and Susan Huang, chief medical officer at America’s Physician Groups.
