Virtual Humans in Healthcare: Timely Implications for Neuropsychiatry and Epilepsy-Psychiatry Gaps

AbstractVirtual humans (VHs) are embodied conversational agents designed to simulate face-to-face interaction. Unlike text-based chatbots, VHs integrate verbal and nonverbal communication, presence, and adaptability. These qualities support stronger therapeutic alliance and user engagement. As interest in AI-driven digital health tools grows, VHs have shown promise in education, chronic disease support, and behavioral health coaching. This systematic review assessed the current landscape of VH applications in healthcare, focusing on their use in patient-facing interventions. Most identified studies targeted mental health, chronic disease management, and training scenarios. However, no studies addressed epilepsy-related psychiatric comorbidities, despite urgent unmet needs in this area due to stigma, access barriers, and care fragmentation. This poster highlights methodological trends, clinical applications, and future opportunities for VHs in bridging neuropsychiatric gaps. It also outlines ethical and integration challenges that must be addressed to translate VH tools into epilepsy psychiatry. With increasing emphasis on health equity and informatics innovation, this research argues that VHs offer a timely path to improving access and continuity of care for underserved populations. Presented at: AMIA Annual Symposium 2025Location: Atlanta, Georgia, USADates: November 15 to 19, 2025 Authors: Joanne Osuchukwu, MD; Judith W. Dexheimer, PhD; John P. Pestian, PhD, MBAAffiliations: Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center; Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA Original abstract published in the AMIA proceedings:https://knowledge.amia.org/A2025/content?act=2025Annuala944