Tobias Kowatsch
Biographic Data
| ID | 4231862 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tobias Kowatsch |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tobias |
| FAMILY NAME | Kowatsch |
| SIGNATURE | KOWATSCH T |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Zurich |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5939-4145 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2014 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Health equity readiness index for digital health organizations
Background As healthcare becomes increasingly digitalized, new challenges and opportunities arise for advancing health equity. In response, a broad range of frameworks and recommendations have emerged to guide equitable innovation. Yet despite this momentum, real world progress remains limited and many digital health organizations (DHOs) struggle to translate health equity principles into concrete, actionable strategies. One promising avenue for …
Equity by design principles for digital health interventions
The study underscores the necessity of moving beyond DHI-specific design considerations to address health inequities in digital health. By adopting these design principles, digital health companies can embed equity as a core strategic priority, actively contribute to reducing health disparities, and foster a more inclusive healthcare ecosystem
The longevity landscape
These findings highlight the need for cross-sector partnerships to address these overlooked determinants and ensure a holistic approach to healthy aging. Future research should explore collaborative strategies to bridge these gaps to meet the diverse needs of aging populations
Can digital health researchers make a difference during the pandemic? Results of the single-arm, chatbot-led Elena
Background The current paper details findings from Elena+: Care for COVID-19, an app developed to tackle the collateral damage of lockdowns and social distancing, by offering pandemic lifestyle coaching across seven health areas: anxiety, loneliness, mental resources, sleep, diet and nutrition, physical activity, and COVID-19 information. Methods The Elena+ app functions as a single-arm interventional study, with participants recruited predominan…
Development of a digital biomarker and intervention for subclinical depression
Digital voice- and breathing-based biomarkers may improve diagnosis, prevention, and care by enabling an unobtrusive and either complementary or alternative assessment to self-reports. Furthermore, our results may advance our understanding of underlying psychophysiological changes in subclinical depression. Our study also provides further evidence regarding the efficacy of standalone digital health interventions to prevent depression. Trial regis…
The mental health impact of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war 6 months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine
These findings suggest that the mental health of Ukrainians affected by the war was impacted differently depending on their level of exposure to violence and their living conditions. Additionally, the study identified several predictors of trauma-related symptoms, including PTSD and CPTSD, such as anxiety, depression, stress, low resilience, and subjective satisfaction with living conditions. Future research should further explore the relationshi…
Six months into the war
The findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing the mental health needs of Ukrainians affected by the ongoing conflict. Interventions and support should be tailored to address the specific needs of different groups, particularly women, younger individuals, and those with worsened financial and employment statuses
Exploring the potential of mobile health interventions to address behavioural risk factors for the prevention of non-communicable diseases in Asian populations
Findings highlight several factors that are relevant for the development and implementation of mobile health interventions in Singapore and other Asian countries. Recommendations include: (i) targeting holistic wellbeing, (ii) tailoring content to address environment-specific barriers, (iii) partnering with government and/or local (non-profit) institutions in the development and/or promotion of mobile health interventions, (iv) managing expectati…
The effects of a personality intervention on satisfaction in 10 domains of life
418), which included participants who wanted to increase their Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, or Extraversion. Bivariate latent change score models were used to examine correlated change between the targeted personality traits and satisfaction domains. We found that global life satisfaction and satisfaction with oneself as a person increased in all three intervention groups. In addition, increases in specific satisfaction domains were re…
Broadened assessments, health education and cognitive aids in the remote memory clinic
The prevalence of dementia is increasing and poses a health challenge for individuals and society. Despite the desire to know their risks and the importance of initiating early therapeutic options, large parts of the population do not get access to memory clinic-based assessments. Remote memory clinics facilitate low-level access to cognitive assessments by eschewing the need for face-to-face meetings. At the same time, patients with detected imp…
See you soon again, chatbot? A design taxonomy to characterize user-chatbot relationships with different time horizons
Users interact with chatbots for various purposes and motivations – and for different periods of time. However, since chatbots are considered social actors and given that time is an essential component of social interactions, the question arises as to how chatbots need to be designed depending on whether they aim to help individuals achieve short-, medium- or long-term goals. Following a taxonomy development approach, we compile 22 empirically an…
Changing personality traits with the help of a digital personality change intervention
Significance Personality traits have consequences and are malleable throughout the lifespan. However, it is unclear if and how personality traits can be changed in desired directions. A 3-mo digital personality change intervention was deployed, and a large-scale randomized controlled trial ( n = 1,523) was conducted to examine the effects of intended personality change in a nonclinical sample. The intervention group showed greater changes than th…
Elena+ Care for Covid-19, a Pandemic Lifestyle Care Intervention
Background: The current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is an emergency on a global scale, with huge swathes of the population required to remain indoors for prolonged periods to tackle the virus. In this new context, individuals' health-promoting routines are under greater strain, contributing to poorer mental and physical health. Additionally, individuals are required to keep up to date with latest health guidelines about the virus, which may be …
Simon
Each year, more than 800,000 persons die by suicide, making it a leading cause of death worldwide. Recent innovations in information and communication technology may offer new opportunities in suicide prevention in individuals, hereby potentially reducing this number. In our project, we design digital indices based on both self-reports and passive mobile sensing and test their ability to predict suicidal ideation, a major predictor for suicide, a…
The social meaning of steps
In recent years, mobile health (mHealth) technologies have received increasing attention from industry and researchers. Such technologies have been the focus of both criticism and high expectations. In this paper, we analyze the integration of mHealth tools in everyday life. Insights into the actual use of such tools have empirical importance and could contribute to our theoretical understanding of mHealth technologies. Our research is based on 2…
Who wants to become more conscientious, more extraverted, or less neurotic with the help of a digital intervention
Peach, a smartphone- and conversational agent-based coaching intervention for intentional personality change
This is the first study testing the effectiveness of a smartphone- and conversational agent-based coaching intervention for intended personality change. Given that this novel intervention approach proves effective, it could be implemented in various non-clinical settings and could reach large numbers of people due to its low-threshold character and technical scalability
Blissfully ignorant
Existing research on information privacy has mostly relied on the privacy calculus model, which views privacy‐related decision‐making as a rational process where individuals weigh the anticipated risks of disclosing personal data against the potential benefits. In this research, we develop an extension to the privacy calculus model, arguing that the situation‐specific assessment of risks and benefits is bounded by (1) pre‐existing attitudes or di…
Smartphone use and smartphone addiction among young people in Switzerland
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Smartphone addiction, its association with smartphone use, and its predictors have not yet been studied in a European sample. This study investigated indicators of smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and their associations with demographic and health behaviour-related variables in young people. METHODS: A convenience sample of 1,519 students from 127 Swiss vocational school classes participated in a survey assessing demogra…
Efficacy of an internet and SMS-based integrated smoking cessation and alcohol intervention for smoking cessation in young people
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN02427446 (date of registration: 08th September, 2014)
Efficacy of a web- and text messaging-based intervention to reduce problem drinking in young people
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN59944705
The effects of a personality intervention on satisfaction in 10 domains of life
418), which included participants who wanted to increase their Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, or Extraversion. Bivariate latent change score models were used to examine correlated change between the targeted personality traits and satisfaction domains. We found that global life satisfaction and satisfaction with oneself as a person increased in all three intervention groups. In addition, increases in specific satisfaction domains were re…
Efficacy of an internet and SMS-based integrated smoking cessation and alcohol intervention for smoking cessation in young people
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN02427446 (date of registration: 08th September, 2014)
Efficacy of a web- and text messaging-based intervention to reduce problem drinking in young people
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN59944705
Blissfully ignorant
Existing research on information privacy has mostly relied on the privacy calculus model, which views privacy‐related decision‐making as a rational process where individuals weigh the anticipated risks of disclosing personal data against the potential benefits. In this research, we develop an extension to the privacy calculus model, arguing that the situation‐specific assessment of risks and benefits is bounded by (1) pre‐existing attitudes or di…
Smartphone use and smartphone addiction among young people in Switzerland
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Smartphone addiction, its association with smartphone use, and its predictors have not yet been studied in a European sample. This study investigated indicators of smartphone use, smartphone addiction, and their associations with demographic and health behaviour-related variables in young people. METHODS: A convenience sample of 1,519 students from 127 Swiss vocational school classes participated in a survey assessing demogra…
Peach, a smartphone- and conversational agent-based coaching intervention for intentional personality change
This is the first study testing the effectiveness of a smartphone- and conversational agent-based coaching intervention for intended personality change. Given that this novel intervention approach proves effective, it could be implemented in various non-clinical settings and could reach large numbers of people due to its low-threshold character and technical scalability
The social meaning of steps
In recent years, mobile health (mHealth) technologies have received increasing attention from industry and researchers. Such technologies have been the focus of both criticism and high expectations. In this paper, we analyze the integration of mHealth tools in everyday life. Insights into the actual use of such tools have empirical importance and could contribute to our theoretical understanding of mHealth technologies. Our research is based on 2…
Who wants to become more conscientious, more extraverted, or less neurotic with the help of a digital intervention
Changing personality traits with the help of a digital personality change intervention
Significance Personality traits have consequences and are malleable throughout the lifespan. However, it is unclear if and how personality traits can be changed in desired directions. A 3-mo digital personality change intervention was deployed, and a large-scale randomized controlled trial ( n = 1,523) was conducted to examine the effects of intended personality change in a nonclinical sample. The intervention group showed greater changes than th…
Elena+ Care for Covid-19, a Pandemic Lifestyle Care Intervention
Background: The current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is an emergency on a global scale, with huge swathes of the population required to remain indoors for prolonged periods to tackle the virus. In this new context, individuals' health-promoting routines are under greater strain, contributing to poorer mental and physical health. Additionally, individuals are required to keep up to date with latest health guidelines about the virus, which may be …
Simon
Each year, more than 800,000 persons die by suicide, making it a leading cause of death worldwide. Recent innovations in information and communication technology may offer new opportunities in suicide prevention in individuals, hereby potentially reducing this number. In our project, we design digital indices based on both self-reports and passive mobile sensing and test their ability to predict suicidal ideation, a major predictor for suicide, a…
Broadened assessments, health education and cognitive aids in the remote memory clinic
The prevalence of dementia is increasing and poses a health challenge for individuals and society. Despite the desire to know their risks and the importance of initiating early therapeutic options, large parts of the population do not get access to memory clinic-based assessments. Remote memory clinics facilitate low-level access to cognitive assessments by eschewing the need for face-to-face meetings. At the same time, patients with detected imp…
See you soon again, chatbot? A design taxonomy to characterize user-chatbot relationships with different time horizons
Users interact with chatbots for various purposes and motivations – and for different periods of time. However, since chatbots are considered social actors and given that time is an essential component of social interactions, the question arises as to how chatbots need to be designed depending on whether they aim to help individuals achieve short-, medium- or long-term goals. Following a taxonomy development approach, we compile 22 empirically an…
Can digital health researchers make a difference during the pandemic? Results of the single-arm, chatbot-led Elena
Background The current paper details findings from Elena+: Care for COVID-19, an app developed to tackle the collateral damage of lockdowns and social distancing, by offering pandemic lifestyle coaching across seven health areas: anxiety, loneliness, mental resources, sleep, diet and nutrition, physical activity, and COVID-19 information. Methods The Elena+ app functions as a single-arm interventional study, with participants recruited predominan…
Development of a digital biomarker and intervention for subclinical depression
Digital voice- and breathing-based biomarkers may improve diagnosis, prevention, and care by enabling an unobtrusive and either complementary or alternative assessment to self-reports. Furthermore, our results may advance our understanding of underlying psychophysiological changes in subclinical depression. Our study also provides further evidence regarding the efficacy of standalone digital health interventions to prevent depression. Trial regis…
The mental health impact of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war 6 months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine
These findings suggest that the mental health of Ukrainians affected by the war was impacted differently depending on their level of exposure to violence and their living conditions. Additionally, the study identified several predictors of trauma-related symptoms, including PTSD and CPTSD, such as anxiety, depression, stress, low resilience, and subjective satisfaction with living conditions. Future research should further explore the relationshi…
Six months into the war
The findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing the mental health needs of Ukrainians affected by the ongoing conflict. Interventions and support should be tailored to address the specific needs of different groups, particularly women, younger individuals, and those with worsened financial and employment statuses
Exploring the potential of mobile health interventions to address behavioural risk factors for the prevention of non-communicable diseases in Asian populations
Findings highlight several factors that are relevant for the development and implementation of mobile health interventions in Singapore and other Asian countries. Recommendations include: (i) targeting holistic wellbeing, (ii) tailoring content to address environment-specific barriers, (iii) partnering with government and/or local (non-profit) institutions in the development and/or promotion of mobile health interventions, (iv) managing expectati…
The effects of a personality intervention on satisfaction in 10 domains of life
418), which included participants who wanted to increase their Emotional Stability, Conscientiousness, or Extraversion. Bivariate latent change score models were used to examine correlated change between the targeted personality traits and satisfaction domains. We found that global life satisfaction and satisfaction with oneself as a person increased in all three intervention groups. In addition, increases in specific satisfaction domains were re…
Equity by design principles for digital health interventions
The study underscores the necessity of moving beyond DHI-specific design considerations to address health inequities in digital health. By adopting these design principles, digital health companies can embed equity as a core strategic priority, actively contribute to reducing health disparities, and foster a more inclusive healthcare ecosystem
The longevity landscape
These findings highlight the need for cross-sector partnerships to address these overlooked determinants and ensure a holistic approach to healthy aging. Future research should explore collaborative strategies to bridge these gaps to meet the diverse needs of aging populations
Health equity readiness index for digital health organizations
Background As healthcare becomes increasingly digitalized, new challenges and opportunities arise for advancing health equity. In response, a broad range of frameworks and recommendations have emerged to guide equitable innovation. Yet despite this momentum, real world progress remains limited and many digital health organizations (DHOs) struggle to translate health equity principles into concrete, actionable strategies. One promising avenue for …
Psychiatry (13 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Psychological intervention (12 works) · Medicine (11 works) · Digital Mental Health Interventions (10 works) · Clinical Psychology (8 works) · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications (7 works) · Public health (6 works) · Behavioral Health and Interventions (5 works) · Clinical Psychology (5 works)