Hybrid Interactive Avatars for Post-COVID Sufferers

The overarching goal of the HINT project is to develop an app that people affected by PCS can use on their own devices in a language of their choice (e.g. their native language) to increase their health and data literacy about PCS and to provide socially equitable access to PCS care. Multilingual avatars are used for independent data collection, as the embodiment of interaction systems offers advantages for health queries. The data collected during the survey and - if desired - data from wearables are combined with historical data from the participants, processed and visualized. This allows patients to communicate with their avatar as well as with medical staff about their illness and its progression without language barriers affecting treatment. The avatar can also inform patients about new research findings on PCS. To this end, the system's level of knowledge is constantly compared with the current state of science; new findings are prepared for the target group and added to the knowledge base. The project is aimed at all those affected by PCS, although the multilingualism and low-threshold health education are intended to appeal in particular to people who have previously had difficulty accessing adequate care. The project is aimed at all those affected by PCS, although the multilingualism and low-threshold health education are intended to appeal in particular to people who have previously had difficulty accessing adequate care. The participatory and iterative development of the system, which also involves medical staff, contributes to overarching issues relating to co-creation approaches in the healthcare sector.