Abstract
This project investigates whether and how the quality of healthcare interactions affects patient health behaviors and outcomes through a randomized controlled trial with healthcare providers, an AI chatbot, and patients in rural West Bengal, India. We will randomly assign providers to receive communication skills training and cross-randomize patient access to an AI chatbot for blood pressure management advice. This design allows us to examine: i) whether the nature of patient-provider interactions affects patient behavior, ii) how AI substitutes or complements provider communication; and iii) what specific elements of communication lead patients to update their beliefs. We study these questions in the context of hypertension management in India, where 28% of adults have hypertension, yet only 12% achieve controlled blood pressure levels, and there is evidence of substantial gaps in both patient understanding of hypertension and medication adherence behaviors and minimal provider communication efforts.