Understanding the Benefits and Design of Chatbots to Meet the Healthcare Needs of Migrant Workers

Economically disadvantaged migrant workers are one of the most vulnerable groups in healthcare. Studies have shown that chatbots can help patients and health professionals in healthcare settings. However, the design of health chatbots for migrant workers has not been thoroughly investigated. Scenario-based interviews with nineteen participants, including ten economically disadvantaged Thai migrant workers and nine relevant stakeholders, were conducted to examine how they seek healthcare, obtain health information, and communicate with health professionals to gain a deeper understanding of the barriers that migrant workers encounter in healthcare. The findings of the interview show that migrant workers face a variety of barriers, such as a lack of familiarity with the healthcare system in the host country, language barriers, cultural barriers to seeking healthcare, and communication barriers with health professionals. Then, the technological design strategies and the benefits of health chatbots from the perspective of migrant workers were discussed, including their potential to help migrant workers navigate the healthcare system step-by-step, obtain reliable health information, improve their health literacy, and facilitate communication with health professionals. Finally, five design implications for chatbots were proposed to guide future development of health chatbots to help migrant workers. Policymakers and health professionals can benefit from the design implications of migrant worker-centered health chatbots when they develop health chatbots that promote the health and well-being of migrant workers.