Revolutionizing Rehabilitation: AI-Driven Chatbots for Musculoskeletal Disorders

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have long been at the forefront of global health challenges, affecting billions and placing immense burdens on healthcare systems and economies. With the continuous advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and particularly conversational agents or chatbots have emerged as promising tools for supporting patients with MSDs. This protocol lays out a detailed plan for a scoping review aimed at mapping the current and potential applications of AI-powered chatbots to improve the management of musculoskeletal conditions.

Background and Significance

MSDs are responsible for a high degree of non-fatal disability worldwide, leading to enduring pain, reduced quality of life, and significant healthcare costs. Recent global health reports highlight that these disorders are a major contributor to disability and economic strain. In response, the integration of AI in healthcare has opened new vistas for patient engagement and treatment personalization. Chatbots, supported by large language models (LLMs) and deep learning technologies, can facilitate real-time dialogue, provide educational support, and assist in monitoring patient progress.

The Promise of AI in Musculoskeletal Care

AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data and simulate human-like conversation makes it a powerful addition to traditional clinical methods. By enabling immediate and tailored interactions, AI-driven chatbots could potentially remind patients about medication schedules, guide them through exercise regimens, and deliver educational content. Researchers are now exploring whether these digital interventions can bridge gaps in musculoskeletal care and improve patient outcomes.

Key Research Objectives

This scoping review protocol is designed to address the following questions:

• Identification of Targeted Conditions: Which musculoskeletal disorders are currently being addressed using AI-powered chatbots?
• Intervention Purposes: How are chatbots being utilized? Are they offering medication reminders, therapy exercise prompts, or educational support?
• Clinical Frameworks and Tools: What clinical benchmarks or conceptual frameworks are guiding the training and use of these AI systems in healthcare?
• Clinical Outcomes: What measurable outcomes have been reported following the implementation of AI chatbots in managing MSDs?

Methodological Approach

The review will adopt the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The following sections detail the structured approach:

Eligibility Criteria

• Population: Adults aged 18 and above experiencing musculoskeletal conditions.
• Intervention: Use of AI-powered conversational agents designed to interact with patients. Studies that use non-AI chatbots or human health coaches will be excluded.
• Scope: All primary studies regardless of publication status, language, or year, except for literature such as narrative reviews or editorials.

Search Strategy

A comprehensive search will be carried out across multiple databases including:

• Medline (Ovid Medline)
• Embase (Ovid)
• ISI Web of Science (Clarivate)
• ClinicalTrials.gov

Records will be systematically screened using Covidence, with a pilot test of eligibility criteria and resolution of disagreements by a third reviewer.

Data Extraction and Analysis

Data will be meticulously extracted with emphasis on:

• Demographic details of study populations
• Specific details about the AI chatbot interventions
• Clinical outcomes and evaluation metrics
• Contextual factors such as the healthcare setting and patient engagement

A thematic and descriptive analysis will be employed to synthesize the findings, with additional exploration of equity aspects and disaggregation by age and gender where available.

Patient and Public Involvement

The protocol includes input from patients with various musculoskeletal conditions. Their experiences and preferences have informed the development of the research questions ensuring a patient-centric perspective throughout the review.

Ethical Considerations and Dissemination

Since the study involves secondary data analysis without direct human participant involvement, formal ethical approval is not required. The results will be shared widely through scientific publications, conference presentations, and professional networks.

Concluding Remarks

The integration of AI-powered chatbots in managing musculoskeletal disorders stands at the intersection of technology and healthcare innovation. This scoping review protocol outlines a journey into understanding how these digital agents can transform patient care, drive efficiency, and possibly reshape rehabilitation medicine. Future insights from this review are expected to highlight both the achievements and the challenges faced in this evolving field, setting the stage for further research and clinical application.