Embodied conversational agents for shared decision-making: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) are computer-based dialogue systems designed to simulate face-to-face interactions by incorporating human-like physical attributes. Their capacity to establish and maintain an empathic relationship in patient interactions positions them as innovative tools that facilitate shared decision-making (SDM). To systematically synthesise the existing evidence concerning the development and application of ECAs in promoting SDM, this protocol delineates a scoping review designed to identify and present the available evidence within this domain. Specifically, the protocol outlines a review that will concentrate on the key features of ECAs in the context of SDM, including their appearance, dialogue mechanisms and emotional models, within the framework, as well as their implementation and evaluation in clinical settings. The framework established by Arksey and O'Malley will be employed to guide the scoping review process. This protocol outlines the systematic retrieval of seven databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Xplore Digital Library and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library. The search strategy has been developed and will be conducted across each database, from its inception to September 2024. Two researchers will conduct literature screening and data extraction independently. The results will be systematically organised and presented through narrative abstracts, tables and/or figures. Ethical approval is not necessary for this review, as it uses data that have been previously collected. Furthermore, the obtained results will be reported in a peer-reviewed journal. Open Science Framework Registries (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/BN3CM).