ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2024
Embodied Conversational Agents for Chronic Diseases: Scoping Review.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 35 citations in OpenAlex.
- Interactive Conversational Agents to Improve Dietary Behaviors for Health Promotion: Mixed Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Conversational Agents Supporting Self-Management in People With a Chronic Disease: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Application of Chatbots to Help Patients Self-Manage Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Pooled it
- The Usability and Experience of Artificial Intelligence-Based Conversational Agents in Health Education for Cancer Patients: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical nursing · 2026Article
- Conversational Agents for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Management: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Development and Usability Assessment of a Health Education Conversational Agent for Patients With Gastric Cancer: Action Research Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Mapping behavior change techniques and health data combinations in virtual agents for chronic condition management: A systematic scoping review.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of AI and rule-based conversational agents for depression, anxiety and stress: A meta-analysis.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of virtual nurse interventions in chronic disease self-management: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Generative AI Chatbot for Diabetes Management: Formative 2-Part Qualitative Study Using DTalksBot Involving Patients and Clinicians.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Shaping the Future of DHT Assessment: Insights on Industry Challenges, Developer Needs, and a Harmonized, European HTA Framework.Journal of market access & health policy · 2025Article
- Development of a GPT-4-Powered Virtual Simulated Patient and Communication Training Platform for Medical Students to Practice Discussing Abnormal Mammogram Results With Patients: Multiphase Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Embodied conversational agents for shared decision-making: a scoping review protocol.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Factors Influencing the Intentions of Patients With Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases to Use a Digital Human for Medication Information: Qualitative Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- The recent history and near future of digital health in the field of behavioral medicine: an update on progress from 2019 to 2024.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Review
- Empowering tomorrow's public health researchers and clinicians to develop digital health interventions using chatbots, virtual reality, and other AI technologies.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Mapping the Evolution of Digital Health Research: Bibliometric Overview of Research Hotspots, Trends, and Collaboration of Publications in JMIR (1999-2024).Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Acceptance, Satisfaction, and Preference With Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2021-2022: Survey Among Patients With Chronic Pain.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- Navigating the DiGA jungle: A taxonomy and archetypal framework of the German digital therapeutics landscape.Digital healthArticle
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEmbodied conversational agents (ECAs) are computer-generated animated humanlike characters that interact with users through verbal and nonverbal behavioral cues. They are increasingly used in a range of fields, including health care.
objectiveThis scoping review aims to identify the current practice in the development and evaluation of ECAs for chronic diseases.
methodsWe applied a methodological framework in this review. A total of 6 databases (ie, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and Web of Science) were searched using a combination of terms related to ECAs and health in October 2023. Two independent reviewers selected the studies and extracted the data. This review followed the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) statement.
resultsThe literature search found 6332 papers, of which 36 (0.57%) met the inclusion criteria. Among the 36 studies, 27 (75%) originated from the United States, and 28 (78%) were published from 2020 onward. The reported ECAs covered a wide range of chronic diseases, with a focus on cancers, atrial fibrillation, and type 2 diabetes, primarily to promote screening and self-management. Most ECAs were depicted as middle-aged women based on screenshots and communicated with users through voice and nonverbal behavior. The most frequently reported evaluation outcomes were acceptability and effectiveness.
conclusionsThis scoping review provides valuable insights for technology developers and health care professionals regarding the development and implementation of ECAs. It emphasizes the importance of technological advances in the embodiment, personalized strategy, and communication modality and requires in-depth knowledge of user preferences regarding appearance, animation, and intervention content. Future studies should incorporate measures of cost, efficiency, and productivity to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the benefits of using ECAs in health care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.