St. Louis-based Mercy has created its own chatbot that serves as a virtual assistant that can help patients schedule appointments and refill prescriptions.
The chatbot, dubbed Toni, assists patients by giving them tailored answers to their inquiries and needs 24/7. Mercy says the chatbot is designed to save patients time, according to a Dec. 18 news release from Mercy.
"Toni can handle your requests faster and easier than a phone call," Tamara Carlton, Mercy's executive director of product development, said in the release. "Research shows people prefer getting answers from a chatbot over dealing with forms or making phone calls. Toni puts you in control of your healthcare decisions, and the best part is Toni will be able to do even more for patients in the future."