Human Coaching Methodologies for Automatic Electronic Coaching (eCoaching) as Behavioral Interventions With Information and Communication Technology: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background We systematically reviewed the literature on human coaching to identify different coaching processes as behavioral interventions and methods within those processes. We then reviewed how those identified coaching processes and the used methods can be utilized to improve an electronic coaching (eCoaching) process for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle with the support of information and communication technology (ICT). Objective This study aimed to identify coaching and eCoaching processes as behavioral interventions and the methods behind these processes. Here, we mainly looked at processes (and corresponding models that describe coaching as certain processes) and the methods that were used within the different processes. Several methods will be part of multiple processes. Certain processes (or the corresponding models) will be applicable for both human coaching and eCoaching. Methods We performed a systematic literature review to search the scientific databases EBSCOhost, Scopus, ACM, Nature, SpringerLink, IEEE Xplore, MDPI, Google Scholar, and PubMed for publications that included personal coaching (from 2000 to 2019) and persuasive eCoaching as behavioral interventions for a healthy lifestyle (from 2014 to 2019). The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework was used for the evidence-based systematic review and meta-analysis. Results The systematic search resulted in 79 publications, including 72 papers and seven books. Of these, 53 were related to behavioral interventions by eCoaching and the remaining 26 were related to human coaching. The most utilized persuasive eCoaching methods were personalization (n=19), interaction and cocreation (n=17), technology adoption for behavior change (n= 17), goal setting and evaluation (n=16), persuasion (n=15), automation (n=14), and lifestyle change (n=14). The most relevant methods for human coaching were behavior (n=23), methodology (n=10), psychology (n=9), and mentoring (n=6). Here, “n” signifies the total number of articles where the respective method was identified. In this study, we focused on different coaching methods to understand the psychology, behavioral science, coaching philosophy, and essential coaching processes for effective coaching. We have discussed how we can integrate the obtained knowledge into the eCoaching process for healthy lifestyle management using ICT. We identified that knowledge, coaching skills, observation, interaction, ethics, trust, efficacy study, coaching experience, pragmatism, intervention, goal setting, and evaluation of coaching processes are relevant for eCoaching. Conclusions This systematic literature review selected processes, associated methods, strengths, and limitations for behavioral interventions from established coaching models. The identified methods of coaching point toward integrating human psychology in eCoaching to develop effective intervention plans for healthy lifestyle management and overcome the existing limitations of human coaching.

Digital Interventions on Healthy Lifestyle Management: Systematic Review

“…Digital interventions for changing negative health behaviors to advance a healthy lifestyle are instigated by persuasion studies. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified digital health interventions into the following 4 categories: clients, health care providers, health system managers, and data services, where digital and mobile technologies are being used to help well-being system needs and achieve health objectives [ 20 - 26 ]. Digital intervention methods include conceptualization, intervention strategies, policy design, understanding of the environment, motivation, behavioral determinants and psychology, persuasion, self-determination theory, self-regulation, participation (engagement), decision-making and feedback generation, goal setting and evaluation, incorporation of digital technologies (eg, smartphones, computers, and wearable sensors), and digital recommendation generation.…”

Reconceptualizing and modeling sustainable consumption behavior: A synthesis of qualitative evidence from online education industry

“…SET focuses on the psychological research of individuals and thinks that the interaction between human beings is a process of mutual exchange (Chatterjee et al, 2021). Social exchange is a kind of voluntary activity that individuals got paid back.…”

“…Then, there is a principle involved in the exchange: one side bestows favor on the other side. Although the benefactor has an average expectation for some possible return in the future, the exact nature is not clearly defined before the act of bestowing a favor (Chatterjee et al, 2021). In other words, the nature of the return is related to the maintenance of social exchange relationships.…”

“…Chatterjee et al (2021) used SET to investigate and test a series of variables related to attitudes and SCB. Based on SET,Wang et al (2019) established a conceptual model to explore the mobilization mechanism of customers' SCB in the environment of sharing economy.…”

COLAEVA: Visual Analytics and Data Mining Web-Based Tool for Virtual Coaching of Older Adult Populations

“…For example, as we have commented in the discussion, the parallel coordinate was found to be difficult to understand by those who are not used to working with this type of visualization, therefore, we will study if other graphs are more suitable to display that information. Secondly, we see the need to increase the number of participants to extract more robust and generalizable recommendations in order to ratify and compare our results with the recommendations of the state of the art [ 31 , 33 ]. Therefore, we will look for new potential participants to increase the database.…”