User-Centered Design of a Texas WIC ChatBot: Formative Investigation

Abstract

<p><b>Introduction</b> <ul> <li>The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) serves people at nutritional risk, including: <ul> <li>Low income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women</li> <li>Children from infancy to the age of 5</li> </ul> </li> <li>WIC provides: <ul> <li>Vouchers for healthful foods</li> <li>Health care referrals</li> <li>Nutrition education counseling</li> </ul> </li> <li>Enrollment has been declining.</li> <li>Most WIC participants use smartphones, and many choose to take their nutrition education classes from WIC online.</li> <li>While there is information regarding eligibility on the Texas WIC website, there is currently no way for potential participants to ask questions about eligibility and make appointments.</li> <li>We collaborated with Texas WIC to obtain USDA funding to investigate developing a ChatBot to meet this gap.</li> </ul> </p>

<p><b>Objective:</b> <ul> <li>To develop a WIC ChatBot prototype based on input from stakeholders and potential users.</li> </ul> </p> <p><b>Methods:</b> <ul> <li>Compliant with the university IRB.</li> <li>Employ User-centered Design to the process of developing the WIC ChatBot prototype (Figure 1).</li> <li>The first step, reported here, involves concept generation based on the results of online group interviews and focus groups with: <ul> <li>Stakeholders in Texas WIC and cooperating states and territories: 1 focus group, 2 group interviews; n=7</li> <li>Texas WIC clinic directors: 1 group interview; 3 focus groups; n=13</li> <li>Texas WIC staff: 1 group interview; 3 focus groups; n=12. Participants were recruited via email and phone calls.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Participants were recruited via email and phone calls.</li> </ul> </p>