A Culturally Tailored Artificial Intelligence Chatbot (K-Bot) to Promote Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Korean Americans: Development and Usability Study.

Abstract

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) worldwide and is associated with various cancers, including cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, significant disparities in HPV vaccination rates persist, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, such as Korean Americans. Cultural stigma, language barriers, and limited access to tailored health information contribute to these disparities.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the usability of K-Bot, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, culturally tailored, bilingual (Korean and English) chatbot designed to provide culturally sensitive health information about HPV vaccination to Korean immigrants and Korean Americans.

Methods: K-Bot was developed using CloudTuring and Google Dialogflow. Its dialogues were created using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evidence-based HPV information and tailored to the Korean American population based on findings from previous studies. The evaluation and refinement process for K-Bot was organized into 3 phases: (1) expert evaluation by a multidisciplinary panel, (2) usability testing, and (3) iterative refinement based on feedback. An online survey collected demographics, HPV awareness, and vaccination status before 6 focus groups (N=21) sessions using semistructured questions guided by Peter Morville's usability framework. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and thematic analysis assessed usability, cultural relevance, and content clarity across 6 dimensions: desirability, accessibility, findability, credibility, usability, and usefulness.

Results: Participants had a mean age of 23.7 (SD 4.7) years, with most being female (n=12, 57.1%), second-generation individuals (n=13, 61.9%), and single (n=20, 95.2%). HPV awareness was high (n=19, 90.5%), vaccine knowledge was also high (n=18, 81.8%), but only 11 (52.4%) participants were vaccinated. Feedback-driven refinements addressed usability challenges, including simplifying navigation and adding visual elements. Participants described K-Bot as a promising tool for promoting HPV vaccination among Korean and Korean American users, citing its bilingual functionality and culturally tailored content as key strengths. Evidence-based information was valued, but participants recommended visuals to improve engagement and reduce cognitive load. Accessibility concerns included broken links, and participants proposed enhancements, such as animations, demographic-specific resources, and interactive features, to improve usability and engagement further.

Conclusions: Usability testing of K-Bot revealed its potential as a culturally tailored, bilingual tool for promoting HPV vaccination among Korean immigrants and Korean Americans. Participants valued its evidence-based information, cultural relevance, and bilingual functionality but recommended improvements, such as enhanced navigation, visual elements, and interactive features, to boost engagement and usability. These findings support the potential of AI-driven tools to improve health care access by addressing key barriers to care. Further research is needed to evaluate their broader impact and optimize their design and implementation for individuals with diverse health care needs.