Sincere support: The rise of the e-coach

The growing popularity of smartphones equipped with sensors is leading to a new sort of coach: the electronic lifestyle coach or e-coach. E-coaches can help their users attain personal goals, for example weight loss. The next generation of e-coaches will quantify our behaviour, emotions, physical activity, and bodily functions. Sincere Support examines five case studies (health, finances, sustainability, social relations and stress at work). It shows that the quality of the e-coaches available today varies considerably. The requirements for admitting e-coaches to the market and the standards that should be applied are still under development. The Rathenau Instituut therefore advocates the introduction of quality criteria to ensure that e-coaches have expertise, are reliable, respect the privacy and autonomy of their users, and act with integrity