The money we will raise by cycling across Europe to Sofia will be used for research on the prevention of cardiovascular disease. In collaboration with two other researchers, Dr. Leonard Hofstra and Dr. Folkert Asselbergs, head researcher Dr. Pim van der Harst has proposed a research project to develop an interactive chatbot for enabling early identification of cardiovascular disease.

 

The chatbot will be able to recognize symptoms of cardiovascular disease using interactive methods in order to refer a user to a specialist at an early stage. The chatbot will be available 24/7 on the internet and by sms and whatsapp. The algorithm supporting the chatbot will formulate appropriate questions based on the answers of a user. According to these answers, the chatbot will be able to determine whether the user has symptoms corresponding to an early or late stage of cardiovascular disease. When necessary, the chatbot will recommend the user to consult a doctor.

 

The three cardiologists are very determined to fulfil this research project because they experience that too many patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases are only diagnosed when it is too late. For many people, seeing a physician or doctor for minor symptoms is a big step. The cardiologists are convinced that most of the irreversible damage, serious hart defects and even decease caused by cardiovascular disease can be prevented when symptoms are identified at an earlier stage. The chatbot that will be developed with the help of Heart to Handle will ensure that people using the chatbot timely visit their physician.

 

With the target amount of €30.000, the Heart to Handle foundation will be able to fully support the realization of this research, including the development of the chatbot and the distribution of the chatbot under the relevant target group.