Withdrawal Notice: HealthLINE - A Chatbot Designed to Aid Self-Management of Chronic Conditions

Overview

The article on HealthLINE, a chatbot for chronic condition self-management, has been retracted due to concerns regarding the authenticity of the last author's affiliation. The retraction was initiated after verification efforts revealed that the last author had no current affiliation with the reported institution.

Background

Chatbots have emerged as significant tools in healthcare, particularly for managing chronic conditions. Their ability to provide health information and support self-management is noted, but the integrity of authorship and institutional affiliation is crucial for maintaining trust in published research.

Data Highlights

No numerical or trial data is available due to the retraction of the article.

Key Findings

• The article was retracted following concerns about the last author's affiliation.
• Verification efforts indicated that the last author's institutional ID had expired.
• Pennsylvania State University confirmed no affiliation with the last author.
• All authors expressed disagreement with the retraction decision.
• This incident highlights the importance of verifying author credentials in published research.

Clinical Implications

The retraction of this article emphasizes the necessity for verification of authorship in healthcare publications.

Conclusion

The retraction of the HealthLINE article serves as a reminder of the importance of author verification in health research.

Related Resources & Content

1. Wang Y-F, Hsu M-H, Wang MY-F, Digital Health, 2025 -- HealthLINE
2. DIGITAL HEALTH — Natural language processing-based chatbots for chronic disease self-management: A systematic review of implementation and health outcomes
3. DIGITAL HEALTH — Application of chatbots in chronic disease management: A scoping review
4. The New Gastroenterologist — Chatbot Facilitates Adoption of a Low FODMAP Diet for Users
5. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) — Efficacy, User Engagement, and Acceptability of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Oriented Psychological Chatbots for Adults With Depressive and/or Anxiety Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
6. Natural language processing-based chatbots for chronic disease self-management: A systematic review of implementation and health outcomes
7. Application of chatbots in chronic disease management: A scoping review
8. Chatbot Facilitates Adoption of a Low FODMAP Diet for Users
9. Efficacy, User Engagement, and Acceptability of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Oriented Psychological Chatbots for Adults With Depressive and/or Anxiety Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
10. Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health: Guidance on large multi-modal models
11. Reporting guideline for chatbot health advice studies: the Chatbot Assessment Reporting Tool (CHART) statement
12. Application of Chatbots to Help Patients Self-Manage Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis