HELLO, I’M DR. CHATBOT! INVESTIGATING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN CHATBOTS AND CUSTOMERS IN HEALTHCARE

This paper investigates the role of chatbots in the healthcare and wellbeing realm, focusing on how chatbot design elements affect customer interaction, trust, and satisfaction. Using a mixed-method approach, the study first employs focus groups to explore users' perceptions and expectations of health chatbots. The insights from these focus groups will guide two experimental studies for examining how specific chatbot attributes, such as anthropomorphism and perceived empathy, influence education, activation, engagement, and empowerment along the life-long journey of people. The research contributes to the emerging literature on digital marketing, providing actionable guidelines for healthcare and wellbeing services’ providers on optimizing chatbot design to improve customer experience and enhance satisfaction, loyalty and outcomes.