Virtual Coach Technology for Supporting Self-Care

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Components of virtual coach interventions

To systematically understand virtual coach interventions, the authors have identified four components that define the design space of such interventions and address when, how, and what message to deliver in an automated and intelligent way (Fig. 1).

Examples of virtual coach interventions

The use of technologies to coach activities for supporting preventive health management and self-care has been an active domain for research. Table 1 summarizes some typical virtual coach interventions including those mentioned in previous sections. The authors also discuss their preliminary work in developing a wheelchair seating virtual coach in this section.

Opportunities and challenges

Although virtual coach technology has shown promising results, the authors identified some key challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed as the technology matures and help shape future directions.

Summary

Prevention and self-care play increasingly important roles in the overall health of an individual. Virtual coach technology potentially can enable a new class of intelligent devices and applications that facilitate self-management and improve compliance to clinical regimens. The ability to provide coaching messages in a way that is tailored both to the user and the situation likely will enable a trustworthy relationship between the technology and the user, improving technology acceptance and

Acknowledgements

Funding for this study was provided by the National Science Foundation, Engineering Research Center (EEC0540865), and the US Department of Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Center of Excellence for Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering (B3142C).

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