The best source for reliable, evidence-based sexual and reproductive health information is a healthcare provider. But what about those who live in rural and underserved communities that lack providers?
That’s when people tend to turn to the internet, says certified nurse-midwife and UNC School of Nursing Assistant Professor Kandyce Brennan. “We see a lot of misinformation that’s being consumed by that population, which can lead to outcomes like mistimed pregnancies, unintended pregnancies and alternative methods to contraception that may not be as reliable.”
Brennan’s solution is SAHRAchat, an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled chatbot that provides accurate, inclusive and accessible sexual and reproductive health information. Importantly, SAHRAchat offers “evidence-based resources for clients, just like you would get if you were to go to your provider,” says Brennan, who co-developed the chatbot with Tianlong Chen, assistant professor in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences’ computer science department.
Brennan describes the early-stage digital technology during the latest episode of the video series “North Carolina Innovators You Should Know,” guest-hosted by Eshelman Innovation Venture Studio Managing Director Bob Dieterle.
Through its monthly video series, Eshelman Innovation introduces viewers to UNC-Chapel Hill innovators, like Brennan, and those at other institutions and companies.
“Our five-year goal is to … have a really accurate and reliable tool that we can then share in communities and bridge that gap for rural and underserved communities,” Brennan says. But her longer-term goal is to build a platform that can address other healthcare challenges.
“There are a lot of specialties that use decision aids,” she says. “This is a really good model to show how you can leverage AI technology to [fill provider gaps] in an equitable and approachable way.”
Thank you to the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media for filming this interview at the Curtis Media Center.
