Using Artificial Intelligence-informed Experience-Based Co-Design (AI-EBCD) to create a virtual reality-based...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Mental Health Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes is associated with diabetes distress, negatively impacting health.
• Mindfulness interventions can alleviate distress, but traditional programs face accessibility barriers.
• Existing mindfulness apps have limited evidence and suboptimal user interfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore virtual reality (VR) for mindfulness practice to reduce diabetes distress.
• To pilot an Artificial Intelligence-informed Experience-Based Co-Design process for a VR mindfulness app.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a bespoke VR mindfulness app in reducing distress and improving quality of life.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods design including app evaluation, expert interviews, and participatory co-design workshops.
• Co-design process involves adults with type 2 diabetes in evaluating apps, creating content using generative AI, and prioritizing features.
• Development and evaluation of a tailored VR mindfulness app using interviews, questionnaires, and analytics.

Main Results:

• The study is a pilot and results are pending.
• The co-design process aims to yield user-centered design for VR mindfulness.
• Evaluation will determine the impact on diabetes distress and quality of life.

Conclusions:

• VR offers a promising avenue for accessible mindfulness interventions for diabetes distress.
• Co-design, enhanced by AI, can facilitate the development of personalized digital mental health tools.
• Further research is needed to validate the effectiveness of VR mindfulness apps in managing chronic conditions.