Using Rosie the Chatbot to Improve Health Outcomes

Presenter: Amanda Ramlogan, Public Health Science & Humanities, Health and Medicine, Global Public Health Scholars

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For my practicum project, I was a research assistant in the Community THRIVES Lab at the University of Maryland. The Community THRIVES Lab focuses on the areas of family violence, early childhood, and adolescent sexual health. The project that I assisted with was Rosie the Chatbot, which is an information chatbot for new mothers of color. Rosie the Chatbot allows mothers to ask questions on a variety of topics such as mental health and pregnancy, and provides answers that are accurate and culturally inclusive. As a research assistant, I packed boxes for our control group that contained breast pumps and books. Another responsibility that I had was contacting participants. For example, I called participants to assess their satisfaction with Rosie the Chatbot and the overall study. Another responsibility that I had was disseminating health information through social media. I created social media posts shared on various platforms with the goal of educating others on a variety of topics related to maternal and child health. My practicum helped me to see firsthand how increasing health information for various communities has a direct impact on health outcomes. As someone who is interested in the field of maternal health, working in the Community THRIVES Lab was an enriching experience that solidified my interest in the field.