Comment on: The Halo Effect: Perceptions of Information Privacy Among Healthcare Chatbot Users

Abstract

The publication on “The Halo Effect: Perceptions of Information Privacy Among Healthcare Chatbot Users [1]” is interesting. This study is intriguing in terms of privacy attitudes concerning healthcare chatbots. However, there are certain drawbacks to the study methods that should be noted. One point that could be raised is whether the poll of chatbot users' attitudes toward privacy is comprehensive and reflective of the general public. For example, the sample size was drawn from chatbot users in a large healthcare system, which may not accurately represent the overall public, particularly older adults. As such, the findings may not be applicable to people with different healthcare experiences.

Additionally, the study may fail to fully account for the socioeconomic issues that influence consumers' attitudes toward privacy. The study may also be limited in its ability to analyze the impact of education and race on privacy attitudes. The findings, which suggest that highly educated and non-Hispanic Black users are less concerned about privacy, may indicate different experiences with access to information or data security.

This study presents a novel approach that uses both survey and interview data to gain a deeper understanding of chatbot users' attitudes toward privacy. Notably, the study observes a “halo effect” among older adults who believe chatbots are linked to reliable healthcare systems. This warrants further investigation. A combination of interviews and survey data has the potential to yield more thorough results. However, research may need to use different data sources to substantiate the findings.

In the future, studies could broaden the survey of chatbot users' sentiments to include users from underserved communities or individuals with additional health risks, who may have different viewpoints than users in larger health systems. This will provide a more comprehensive understanding of privacy concerns. Furthermore, research into the long-term consequences of technology use and the implications of delivering medical information via digital platforms could offer insights into the development of safe and dependable solutions.

H.P. 50% ideas, writing, analyzing, approval. V.W. 50% ideas, supervision, approval.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

This publication is linked to a related reply by DeCamp and Ellis. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.19544.