'Emotional automation' for better healthcare?

Donna Cusano

Is it possible for the average person to bond with mHealth technology, enough to lead to improved health?  Dr. Joseph Kvedar of the Center for Connected Health discusses what he calls ‘relational agents’ which coach for an activity regimen or patiently answer questions on hospital discharge. ‘Can we set up systems that are extensions of our providers that will allow patients to feel cared for by their doctor [his emphasis] but be interacting with a piece of software or a robot?’ It’s an extension of our everyday talking to and personalizing objects (e.g. GPS, PCs, automobiles–particularly balky ones) to a new level. Kvedar’s cHealth Blog