Tim Bickmore Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science t.bickmore@neu.edu 617.373.5477 Expertise avatars, relational agents, use of technology in patient care Tim Bickmore in the Press Health care organizations face a cybersecurity mandate But Teladoc’s new partnership with Amazon — allowing millions of consumers to dial up doctors on a smart speaker — is unlikely to improve care beyond well-heeled consumers who already have plenty of access. “People who have Alexas already both have the means to afford these technologies and they have high technical literacy,” which is typically correlated with health literacy, Northeastern […] For the Elderly Who Are Lonely, Robots Offer Companionship “Robots that help people connect with and maintain their relationships with others are becoming increasingly important,” says Timothy Bickmore, a professor at Northeastern University who is developing a digital assistant to help the elderly navigate the final stages of life. The New Yorker Automated Health Care Offers Freedom from Shame, But Is It What Patients Need? A few years ago, Timothy Bickmore, a computer scientist at Northeastern University, developed an artificial-intelligence program to help low-income patients at Boston Medical Center prepare for their return home from the hospital. The virtual nurse, alternately called Louise or Elizabeth, was embodied as an animated figure on a screen. It began by asking patients whether […] CNBC An artificial intelligence created for the end of life is already here Over the next three years, Northeastern University professor Timothy Bickmore and Boston Medical Center doctor Michael Paasche-Orlow will distribute Microsoft Surface tablets preloaded with a chatbot to about 360 patients who have been told they have less than a year to live. Smithsonian Magazine Can a chatbot help you prepare for death? That’s an idea that a team at Northeastern University in Boston is exploring. They’ve begun a trial in which they’re introducing terminally ill patients to chatbots—computer programs able to converse with humans. New chatbots will help people accept death Consider the chatbot developed by researchers at the Boston Medical Center and Northeastern University, which was recently presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents in Stockholm. According to the researchers’ paper, the chatbot is explicitly meant to replicate conversing with a “palliative care coach” that answers questions about things like preparing a will […] CNET News New chatbots will help people accept death Consider the chatbot developed by researchers at the Boston Medical Center and Northeastern University, which was recently presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents in Stockholm. According to the researchers’ paper, the chatbot is explicitly meant to replicate conversing with a “palliative care coach” that answers questions about things like preparing a will […] The Washington Times Boston scientists test ‘chatbot’ that offers spiritual, emotional guidance to terminally ill A group of researchers in Massachusetts are testing a “chatbot” with terminally ill patients who struggle with funeral arrangements and spiritual questions. Timothy Bickmore of Boston’s Northeastern University has worked with a team of scientists, doctors and hospital chaplains to come up with the tablet-based chatbot. Promising results from a group of 44 patients paved […] International Business Times This chatbot could help the elderly make difficult end-of-life decisions A team from the Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, has created a chatbot to help people through their end-of-life decisions. It is set to be trialled with terminally ill patients in the Boston area over the next two years, reports New Scientist. Besides offering spiritual guidance, the tablet-based chatbot helps people who are nearing death, […] New Scientist End of life chatbot can help you with difficult final decisions People near the end of their lives sometimes don’t get the chance to have these important conversations before it’s too late, says Timothy Bickmore at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. So Bickmore and his team – which included doctors and hospital chaplains – built a tablet-based chatbot to offer spiritual and emotional guidance to people […] Tim Bickmore for Northeastern Global News Virtual healthcare agents, at your service Virtual healthcare agents, at your service Northeastern convened an interdisciplinary group of researchers for the 2014 International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents, where experts discussed and showcased avatars that could be used in a variety of healthcare applications. These apps were made for walking These apps were made for walking Older adults, and especially those from minority communities, are often overlooked in the development of healthcare-promotion technologies. New work from associate professor Timothy Bickmore targets these populations specifically, and it looks like the strategy is working. ‘Popping in’ on the latest research ‘Popping in’ on the latest research From brain computer interfaces to gyroscopes, the next generation of healthcare technologies have something for everyone — and they’re being developed in Northeastern labs. Technology to improve health care Technology to improve health care Northeastern’s new doctoral program in personal health informatics — the first of its kind in the nation — will prepare students for researching and developing new technologies that can have a global impact on healthcare. Avatar teaches breastfeeding benefits and techniques Avatar teaches breastfeeding benefits and techniques Two Northeastern professors have teamed up to design a computer-based avatar for educating expecting mothers about breastfeeding. 3Qs: Taking a patient-facing approach to health care 3Qs: Taking a patient-facing approach to health care The United States spends $2 trillion in health care annually. New technologies and approaches to health care have led to a growing field in health informatics, which has a focus on both the clinical and personal aspects of the industry. We asked Timothy Bickmore, an associate professor in the College of Computer and Information Science, to discuss the impact this field can have on the health care industry as a whole, as well as Northeastern’s new PhD program in health informatics. Creating a trusty virtual guide Creating a trusty virtual guide Professor wins NCI grant to develop computer-animated conversational agents to guide cancer patients through clinical trials Virtual help, but the benefits will be real Virtual help, but the benefits will be real Northeastern professor awarded $1.8M NSF grant to continue his development of computer-animated health aides and companions for the elderly Virtual nurse technology on path to commercial use Virtual nurse technology on path to commercial use Computer science professor’s software solution to hospital discharge issues would reduce readmission rate, aiding patient health while lowering cost of care Virtual nurse helps counsel patients before their hospital release Virtual nurse helps counsel patients before their hospital release Computer science researcher develops animation to educate those with low health literacy.
Health care organizations face a cybersecurity mandate But Teladoc’s new partnership with Amazon — allowing millions of consumers to dial up doctors on a smart speaker — is unlikely to improve care beyond well-heeled consumers who already have plenty of access. “People who have Alexas already both have the means to afford these technologies and they have high technical literacy,” which is typically correlated with health literacy, Northeastern […]
For the Elderly Who Are Lonely, Robots Offer Companionship “Robots that help people connect with and maintain their relationships with others are becoming increasingly important,” says Timothy Bickmore, a professor at Northeastern University who is developing a digital assistant to help the elderly navigate the final stages of life.
The New Yorker Automated Health Care Offers Freedom from Shame, But Is It What Patients Need? A few years ago, Timothy Bickmore, a computer scientist at Northeastern University, developed an artificial-intelligence program to help low-income patients at Boston Medical Center prepare for their return home from the hospital. The virtual nurse, alternately called Louise or Elizabeth, was embodied as an animated figure on a screen. It began by asking patients whether […]
CNBC An artificial intelligence created for the end of life is already here Over the next three years, Northeastern University professor Timothy Bickmore and Boston Medical Center doctor Michael Paasche-Orlow will distribute Microsoft Surface tablets preloaded with a chatbot to about 360 patients who have been told they have less than a year to live.
Smithsonian Magazine Can a chatbot help you prepare for death? That’s an idea that a team at Northeastern University in Boston is exploring. They’ve begun a trial in which they’re introducing terminally ill patients to chatbots—computer programs able to converse with humans.
New chatbots will help people accept death Consider the chatbot developed by researchers at the Boston Medical Center and Northeastern University, which was recently presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents in Stockholm. According to the researchers’ paper, the chatbot is explicitly meant to replicate conversing with a “palliative care coach” that answers questions about things like preparing a will […]
CNET News New chatbots will help people accept death Consider the chatbot developed by researchers at the Boston Medical Center and Northeastern University, which was recently presented at the International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents in Stockholm. According to the researchers’ paper, the chatbot is explicitly meant to replicate conversing with a “palliative care coach” that answers questions about things like preparing a will […]
The Washington Times Boston scientists test ‘chatbot’ that offers spiritual, emotional guidance to terminally ill A group of researchers in Massachusetts are testing a “chatbot” with terminally ill patients who struggle with funeral arrangements and spiritual questions. Timothy Bickmore of Boston’s Northeastern University has worked with a team of scientists, doctors and hospital chaplains to come up with the tablet-based chatbot. Promising results from a group of 44 patients paved […]
International Business Times This chatbot could help the elderly make difficult end-of-life decisions A team from the Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, has created a chatbot to help people through their end-of-life decisions. It is set to be trialled with terminally ill patients in the Boston area over the next two years, reports New Scientist. Besides offering spiritual guidance, the tablet-based chatbot helps people who are nearing death, […]
New Scientist End of life chatbot can help you with difficult final decisions People near the end of their lives sometimes don’t get the chance to have these important conversations before it’s too late, says Timothy Bickmore at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. So Bickmore and his team – which included doctors and hospital chaplains – built a tablet-based chatbot to offer spiritual and emotional guidance to people […]