An preliminary display screen within the FLORA utility. Credit score: SWPS College
Can a digital nurse persuade folks to get vaccinated? Scientists from SWPS College have confirmed that it’s potential. Discovering new types of informing folks about vaccinations is especially essential for public well being whereas some query their validity.
Whereas the consensus within the medical and scientific group is that preventive vaccinations are amongst civilization’s biggest achievements, there are teams that resist this only technique for stopping infectious illnesses.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed that mass vaccination is an efficient technique for reaching herd immunity and defeating a virus. Sadly, it has additionally led to an unprecedented degree of misinformation and questioning of the scientific group’s consensus, together with the intensification of the exercise of anti-vaccination actions. Within the age of social media, false data spreads extra simply than evidence-based positions of scientists.
Solely a small proportion of society overtly opposes vaccines. A considerably bigger portion has some considerations and doubts associated to this safety measure. A marked lower within the vaccination fee is especially alarming within the context of the reappearance of illnesses that have been virtually eradicated way back (such because the extremely infectious measles).
On account of this, combating conspiracy theories and false data positive aspects explicit significance. It will probably positively affect attitudes towards science and immediately have an effect on our well being and security.
Let’s have a (digital) discuss vaccinations
A dialogue, understood as a social affect instrument, could also be an efficient technique of selling vaccinations. Nevertheless, if we keep in mind the completely extreme workload that well being care professionals need to cope with, an extended dialog with a health care provider could merely be unimaginable.
Researchers from SWPS College have proposed an answer: a simulation of a dialogue with using an avatar as an alternative of a dialog between the affected person and an actual human. They described their conclusions within the paper “A virtual assistant can persuade you to get vaccinated against the flu. Online dialogue as a tool of social influence in promoting vaccinations,” printed in Social Science & Drugs.
The FLORA utility created by scientists leads a dialogue about well being with members, particularly about influenza, a illness that poses a critical menace to public well being, in opposition to which solely a small proportion of the inhabitants is vaccinated.
The vaccine not solely minimizes the chance of the illness spreading, but additionally protects in opposition to critical issues, to which the aged, pregnant girls and folks affected by continual illnesses are significantly susceptible. FLORA is a digital nurse whose avatar is exhibited to the applying consumer.
The primary experiment, during which 903 members took half, assessed the impression of a digital dialog on the willingness to get vaccinated, whereas the second (870 members) moreover included a direct request to get vaccinated. Every participant was randomly assigned to one in all three teams.
The primary group talked to a digital assistant. The dialogue involved their well being and bodily situation. This system additionally assessed the person danger of post-influenza issues, and inspired some members to get vaccinated. The second group of members crammed out a questionnaire enabling them to evaluate the chance of post-influenza issues. The third group was given a leaflet to learn on their very own (with out the potential for assessing the chance).
The applying guided the dialog by asking particular inquiries to which customers supplied predefined responses. To make the simulation of social contact extra credible, the boards have been embellished with a digital nurse—FLORA, who smiles, expresses curiosity or concern. The avatar does greater than presenting dry details—the dialogue resembles an actual dialog, even seasoned with a dose of humor.
The digital assistant is convincing, however is it empathetic?
The examine confirmed that individuals who talked to the avatar declared a considerably decrease danger of post-influenza issues in comparison with members from different teams (questionnaire, leaflet). This was significantly seen within the low-risk group, during which the dialogue clearly elevated the willingness of members to get vaccinated, says Professor Dariusz Doliński from the School of Psychology in Wrocław of the SWPS College, head of the Division of Social Psychology in Wrocław SWPS College.
The second a part of the examine introduced fascinating outcomes. It turned out that after supplementing the dialogue performed by FLORA with a clearly formulated request to get vaccinated, the members’ willingness to get vaccinated was 33 occasions increased than in different situations.
This means that whereas the digital dialogue itself doesn’t essentially change the customers’ attitudes, a direct request following the dialogue can have a major impression on their method (on this case, to vaccinations). Nevertheless, the researchers acknowledge that further elements might additionally play a task, resembling particular person predispositions or the credibility attributed to FLORA.
Among the many sensible functions of the examine outcomes, the authors level to help for well being care suppliers. Quite a few research exhibit that sufferers anticipate empathy from their medical doctors, in addition to well-developed communication abilities, credibility and belief. All these attributes are related with dialogue as a type of communication.
In the meantime, the time medical doctors can commit to their contact with sufferers has been reducing. On this scenario, options resembling FLORA might relieve medical doctors to some extent.
Extra data:
Agnieszka Kozłowska et al, A digital assistant can persuade you to get vaccinated in opposition to the flu. On-line dialogue as a instrument of social affect in selling vaccinations, Social Science & Drugs (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117825
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Examine exhibits a digital nurse can persuade you to get vaccinated (2025, Might 9)
retrieved 10 Might 2025
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