Meet Pat, the chatbot

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Find out how to use Pat, the DVA chatbot, to answer general questions about our services. This page also tells you about Pat's conditions of use.

On this page

  1. Pat, the chatbot
  2. If Pat does not have an answer
  3. Feedback about Pat
  4. Privacy
  5. Legal disclaimer
  6. Emergency contacts

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Pat, the chatbot

Pat (short for rePATriation) is our virtual assistant. This means Pat is a robot and there is no human on the other end.

Pat uses a knowledge base of pre-prepared questions and answers to answer simple, general questions about our services.

When you type in a question Pat checks the database for similar questions. If Pat finds a similar question, it will give you that answer.

If Pat thinks there is more than one possible answer to your question, Pat may give you options for you to select. These options display as buttons. The button describes what you can do if you click that button.

You can help get the answer you need if you:

  • keep your question short and simple
  • type keywords about the information you are looking for
  • make your question general – Pat will be confused by personal information, such as your name or age

Example, type "can I get mental health care"

Information about you or your family's current circumstances will make it harder for Pat to find the right answer.

A question like "my 92 year old mother recently injured herself in a fall and needs help around the home. can she get that?" will confuse Pat.

The word "injured" makes Pat think you want information about treatment for an injury, so Pat might give you the wrong answer.

Instead, you can try asking Pat "can I get help around the house?" or "how can I organise a community nurse?".

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If Pat does not have an answer

Sometimes Pat will not be able to find an answer in its knowledge base. This may be because either:

  • we have not created content for that question yet
  • the wording of the question doesn’t match the questions/answers we have prepared for Pat

If this happens, Pat will display a message – “I'm sorry I can't find an answer. Please try rephrasing your question using keywords”.

Try asking the question in a different way, using words that relate to the information you need.

If Pat still does not have an answer, you can try using the search function at the top of the web page or call us on 1800 VETERAN (1800 838 372).

We review a sample of Pat’s interactions regularly so that we can learn more about what information our users need to know.

So even if you do not get an answer from Pat, your question helps us improve the experience for our users next time.

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Feedback about Pat

You can tell us what you think any time. We would love to hear any suggestions for how we can improve Pat.

We are adding to and improving Pat’s knowledge base all the time and appreciate your feedback.

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Privacy

DVA and its service providers will keep a copy of any information you type into Pat’s interface.

Any information sent to Pat will be used to answer your question or to help us improve how Pat answers your questions.

Further information about how we deal with personal information is found in our privacy policy.

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Pat the chatbot is DVA’s virtual assistant. Pat is a computer program designed to provide answers to general queries from the veteran community.

When you ask Pat a question, Pat will search its database of pre-written questions and answers. If Pat finds a match, it will present the most likely answer. If Pat finds more than one possible match, it may offer multiple answers for you to choose from.

We do not monitor Pat’s responses and user interactions at the time of your conversation.

We make every effort to ensure that Pat the chatbot provides quality information in the responses provided.

However we do not provide any guarantees, and assume no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information provided by Pat.

Pat is not designed to provide specific advice tailored to individual circumstances. In particular, any information provided by Pat does not take the place of professional or medical advice and should not be used:

  • to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease
  • for therapeutic purposes
  • as a substitute for the advice of a health professional

You should get advice relevant to your particular circumstances from a health professional.

We do not accept any liability for any injury, loss or damage caused by use of the information provided by Pat.

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Emergency contacts

  • Call 000 if you or another person is in immediate danger.

If you or your family require mental health support, call:

 

 

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