Medicine

Can an AI chatbot help women recognize heart disease?

How the science connects

Artificial intelli…Cardiovascular dis…Digital health

AI Insight

Researchers at UC San Francisco developed HeartBot, an AI chatbot designed to help women better understand heart disease risks and recognize heart attack symptoms. The study, led by Dr. Yoshimi Fukuoka, examined whether mobile access to a heart-health chatbot could improve participants' awareness of cardiovascular risks and their ability to identify when to seek emergency medical care. The chatbot provides on-demand answers to women's questions about heart disease.


Heart disease remains a leading cause of death among women, yet symptoms are often underrecognized or dismissed. An accessible AI tool that educates women about cardiovascular health could potentially reduce delays in seeking life-saving treatment during cardiac events.


HeartBot, created by a team of UC researchers, regularly answers questions from women seeking information on heart disease. The project was led by Yoshimi Fukuoka, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, a nurse scientist and professor at UC San Francisco’s School of Nursing. The goal was to study whether having a heart-health chatbot on their phone would increase study participants’ awareness of heart disease risks and recognition of heart attack symptoms so they would seek medical help when necessary.

Source: Can an AI chatbot help women recognize heart disease?