Pitik: A Cebuano-Binisaya Intent-Based Chatbot for Cardiovascular Disease Patient Profiling and Risk Factor Recommendations
Joseph Cedeño | Andrew Manteza | Nicole Nacar | Merhamdin Umbukan | Cherrie Muaña | Ma. Juliet Vasay-cruz | Ceasar Ian P. Benablo | Kristine Mae Adlaon
Discipline: health studies
Abstract:
Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of
death in the Philippines, affecting one in six Filipinos and accounting for 20%
of all deaths. Despite the existence of community-based healthcare programs,
patient profiling continues to be done manually, resulting in inefficiencies in
cardiovascular risk assessment. To address this, Pitik, a Cebuano-Binisaya
intent-based chatbot, was developed to streamline cardiovascular risk
profiling and data collection, particularly in underserved areas.
Methods: This study collaboratively employed Action Research to refine Pitik
through three software development iterations. The chatbot integrated the
Diag-Ex framework alongside Pre-Intent and Post-Intent Matching algorithms.
Gricean Maxims guided its conversational design to enhance communication
accuracy and user interaction quality.
Results: The iterative development process significantly improved Pitik's
accuracy, reduced communication errors, and increased user engagement.
Evaluations demonstrated the chatbot's effectiveness in processing user
inputs and providing structured cardiovascular risk assessments. These
improvements highlight Pitik's growing capability in delivering accessible and
reliable health information.
Conclusion: Pitik presents a scalable and linguistically inclusive AI solution
for cardiovascular risk assessment within Cebuano-Binisaya-speaking
communities. The study underscores the potential of AI-driven chatbots to
enhance community-based patient profiling, reduce manual workloads, and
improve healthcare access in rural areas. Future work will involve expanding
Pitik's features and evaluating its real-world impact in broader healthcare
contexts.
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