ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2020
Developing Embodied Conversational Agents for Coaching People in a Healthy Lifestyle: Scoping Review.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 47 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
47 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Natural Language Processing Chatbot-Based Interventions for Improvement of Diet, Physical Activity, and Tobacco Smoking Behaviors: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Pooled it
- A Systematic Review on Healthcare Artificial Intelligent Conversational Agents for Chronic Conditions.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Pooled it
- Promoting Physical Activity Through Conversational Agents: Mixed Methods Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Conversational Agents for Chronic Disease Self-Management: A Systematic Review.AMIA ... Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium · 2020Pooled it
- Text Messaging to Extend School-Based Suicide Prevention: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR mental health · 2024Trial
- Mapping behavior change techniques and health data combinations in virtual agents for chronic condition management: A systematic scoping review.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Chatbot-based interventions for improvement of diet, physical activity, and tobacco use behaviors: protocol for a systematic review.Systematic reviews · 2026Article
- Matching embodied conversational agent appearance to message emotion enhances persuasion in eHealth.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Determining the Feasibility and Usability of a Co-Designed Culturally Appropriate Conversational Agent (DESI-Heart) to Support Self-Care in People With Cardiovascular Diseases: Protocol for a Single-Arm Pilot Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Embodied conversational agents for shared decision-making: a scoping review protocol.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Feasibility and Preliminary Behavioral and Clinical Efficacy of a Diabetes Education Chatbot Pilot Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes.Journal of diabetes science and technology · 2025Article
- Neural Conversational Agent for Weight Loss Counseling: Protocol for an Implementation and Feasibility Study.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Roles, Users, Benefits, and Limitations of Chatbots in Health Care: Rapid Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Review
- Development of a culturally targeted chatbot to inform living kidney donor candidates of African ancestry about APOL1 genetic testing: a mixed methods study.Journal of community genetics · 2024Article
- Use of automated conversational agents in improving young population mental health: a scoping review.NPJ digital medicine · 2024Article
- Acceptability of Mobile App-Based Motivational Interviewing and Preferences for App Features to Support Self-Management in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Qualitative Study.JMIR diabetes · 2024Article
- Development of an online service for coping with spousal loss by means of human-centered and stakeholder-inclusive design: the case of LEAVES.Death studies · 2024Article
- Embodied Conversational Agents for Chronic Diseases: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Bringing together multimodal and multilevel approaches to study the emergence of social bonds between children and improve social AI.Frontiers in neuroergonomics · 2024Article
- Embodied Conversational Agents Providing Motivational Interviewing to Improve Health-Related Behaviors: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEmbodied conversational agents (ECAs) are animated computer characters that simulate face-to-face counseling. Owing to their capacity to establish and maintain an empathic relationship, they are deemed to be a promising tool for starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
objectiveThis review aimed to identify the current practices in designing and evaluating ECAs for coaching people in a healthy lifestyle and provide an overview of their efficacy (on behavioral, knowledge, and motivational parameters) and use (on usability, usage, and user satisfaction parameters).
methodsWe used the Arksey and O'Malley framework to conduct a scoping review. PsycINFO, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, and Scopus were searched with a combination of terms related to ECA and lifestyle. Initially, 1789 unique studies were identified; 20 studies were included.
resultsMost often, ECAs targeted physical activity (n=16) and had the appearance of a middle-aged African American woman (n=13). Multiple behavior change techniques (median=3) and theories or principles (median=3) were applied, but their interpretation and application were usually not reported. ECAs seemed to be designed for the end user rather than with the end user. Stakeholders were usually not involved. A total of 7 out of 15 studies reported better efficacy outcomes for the intervention group, and 5 out of 8 studies reported better use-related outcomes, as compared with the control group.
conclusionsECAs are a promising tool for persuasive communication in the health domain. This review provided valuable insights into the current developmental processes, and it recommends the use of human-centered, stakeholder-inclusive design approaches, along with reporting on the design activities in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The gaps in knowledge were identified on the working mechanisms of intervention components and the right timing and frequency of coaching.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.