This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A University of Rochester collaboration is using an AI-powered virtual patient to help dentists strengthen their communication, build trust and better respond to patients' fears and concerns. For many patients, sitting in a dental chair can be stressful long before treatment begins.
The work is published in the Journal of Dental Education. "Fear, anxiety, uncertainty about a procedure, concerns or misconceptions about treatment can all shape a patient's experience," said Shasha Cui, EdD, MBA, assistant professor and education specialist at Eastman Institute for Oral Health. "For dentists, providing excellent care requires more than technical expertise.
It also requires knowing how to listen, explain complicated information clearly, recognize concerns and establish trust." A collaboration between EIOH and the University's Department of Computer Science is piloting an interactive platform called SOPHIE—Standardized Online Patient for Healthcare Interaction Education—for dental education. "AI cannot replace empathy," said Ehsan Hoque, PhD, professor of computer science and an expert in human-centered artificial intelligence, "but it can provide an environment where clinicians can repeatedly practice the communication skills patients depend on—without the pressure of practicing for the first time during a real clinical encounter." SOPHIE uses a three-dimensional virtual character that can see and listen to a clinician, carry on a conversation and respond in real time. The technology was originally developed to help physicians have difficult conversations with patients facing serious illness.
Cui saw an opportunity to adapt that same approach to dentistry. "Health professions programs have traditionally used trained actors, known as standardized patients, to help clinicians develop communication skills," she explained. "The approach can be highly effective, but it also requires numerous resources, making it difficult to provide every learner with repeated opportunities to practice." Because SOPHIE can be accessed through a browser, trainees can practice at their convenience and repeat scenarios as often as needed.
That repeatability matters when the skills being practiced are inherently difficult: recognizing anxiety, active listening, showing empathy, asking open-ended questions and involving patients in decisions about their own care. The team organized the training around what it calls the three E's: Empower, Empathy and Explicit. It encourages clinicians to involve patients in their care, demonstrate empathy and communicate information clearly.
The training allows residents to try different approaches, receive feedback and practice again. Cultural differences and language can also influence how patients perceive treatment, ask questions and interact with their providers. "SOPHIE really helps us understand how to communicate better with the wide range of patients Eastman serves," said Prateek Daga, DDS, an EIOH resident who participated in the pilot program at EIOH's Golisano Specialty Care Perinatal Dental Clinic.
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