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Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth

Date Submitted: Jun 18, 2025
Date Accepted: Apr 8, 2026

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

A Beginner’s Guide to Applying Large Language Models in Behavioral Interventions

Shah N, Buis L, Mlakha M, Castellanos A, Murphy S

A Beginner’s Guide to Applying Large Language Models in Behavioral Interventions

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2026;14:e79302

DOI: 10.2196/79302

PMID: 42055539

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

A Beginner’s Guide to Applying Artificial Intelligence to Behavioral Interventions

  • Nirali Shah; 
  • Lorraine Buis; 
  • Marfn Mlakha; 
  • Alexis Castellanos; 
  • Susan Murphy

ABSTRACT

Digital behavioral interventions play a crucial role in chronic disease management. However, their effectiveness is often limited by challenges related to scalability, personalization, and long-term patient engagement. Artificial intelligence (AI) may be a promising solution because it allows for interventions to dynamically adapt to individual needs, thus providing capabilities for personalization that goes beyond traditional behavioral interventions. As the field of AI is rapidly evolving, many clinical researchers may be interested in adopting AI, however they may lack the technical knowledge or the necessary guidance to effectively integrate AI into their interventions. This viewpoint article provides a structured introduction to AI, covering foundational concepts relevant to behavioral interventions. Additionally, based on our experience in incorporating AI into a self-management intervention for individuals with systemic sclerosis, we developed a practical checklist to help guide clinical researchers who are novices in AI through the AI adoption process. This checklist outlines essential considerations, including defining project goals, selecting AI tools, assembling an interdisciplinary team, addressing ethical concerns, and ensuring long-term sustainability.


 Citation

Please cite as:

Shah N, Buis L, Mlakha M, Castellanos A, Murphy S

A Beginner’s Guide to Applying Large Language Models in Behavioral Interventions

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2026;14:e79302

DOI: 10.2196/79302

PMID: 42055539

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