Evaluation of AI-Assisted Telemedicine Service Using a Mobile Pet Application

Abstract

This study indirectly verifies the possibility of telemedicine for humans through a mobile application (app) targeting pets. It examined the perception of telemedicine services and the current status of the companion animal industry, the app platform, and its applied technology by industry domain, and four representative types of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies applicable in the medical field. A survey was conducted through an app implementing pet telemedicine, and hypotheses were established and statistically tested based on the adoption period of pets, health status, mobile service utilization (as an index measuring the ease of use of recent AI functions), and positive and negative perceptions of telemedicine services. As revealed by prospect theory, users with a negative perception of pet telemedicine tended to maintain negative perceptions about telemedicine for humans. This study proved that the severity of pet diseases and the ease of use of recent AI technologies act as a moderating effect on the perception of telemedicine services through the verification of reinforcement and additional hypotheses. It suggests a plan to overcome sanctions against telemedicine by utilizing AI technology. A positive effect on changing the medical paradigm to telemedicine and the improvement of the medical legal system were also observed.

Keywords

• telemedicine
• COVID-19
• companion animal
• application service platform
• medical AI technologies
• prospect theory