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arXiv · 2507.16735

AI-enhanced conversational agents for personalized asthma support Factors for engagement, value and efficacy

Laura Moradbakhti·Dorian Peters·Jennifer K. Quint·Björn Schuller·Darren Cook·Rafael A. Calvo
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Abstract

Asthma-related deaths in the UK are the highest in Europe, and only 30% of patients access basic care. There is a need for alternative approaches to reaching people with asthma in order to provide health education, self-management support and bridges to care. Automated conversational agents (specifically, mobile chatbots) present opportunities for providing alternative and individually tailored access to health education, self-management support and risk self-assessment. But would patients engage with a chatbot, and what factors influence engagement? We present results from a patient survey (N=1257) devised by a team of asthma clinicians, patients, and technology developers, conducted to identify optimal factors for efficacy, value and engagement for a chatbot. Results indicate that most adults with asthma (53%) are interested in using a chatbot and the patients most likely to do so are those who believe their asthma is more serious and who are less confident about self-management. Results also indicate enthusiasm for 24/7 access, personalisation, and for WhatsApp as the preferred access method (compared to app, voice assistant, SMS or website). Obstacles to uptake include security/privacy concerns and skepticism of technological capabilities. We present detailed findings and consolidate these into 7 recommendations for developers for optimising efficacy of chatbot-based health support.

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Laura Moradbakhti, Dorian Peters, Jennifer K. Quint, Björn Schuller, Darren Cook, Rafael A. Calvo. 2025-07-22. AI-enhanced conversational agents for personalized asthma support Factors for engagement, value and efficacy. https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.16735

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