Prompt Design Critically Impacts AI Health Coaching Chatbot Quality and Clarity
A recent scoping review of early literature on large language models has revealed that prompt design is a primary and modifiable factor directly influencing the performance of artificial intelligence chatbots used for health coaching. The review, which analyzed twelve peer-reviewed studies published through October 2025, covered various health contexts including medication use, mental health, physical activity, and nutrition. Researchers found that the way instructions are crafted significantly shapes the advice provided by these conversational agents. Structural modifications, such as specifying precise constraints and adding detail, were identified as the most common and effective strategy for improving the clarity and overall response quality of chatbot outputs. While specialized prompting techniques enhanced specific task performance, they sometimes led to trade-offs like reduced focus. Role-based prompting was also found to alter the chatbot's persona, affecting tone and adherence to clinical guidelin...
