I'm pleased to share our latest publication in PLOS Digital Health:
Digital health interventions are often effective, but one of the biggest challenges remains keeping people engaged over time. In this study, we explored whether artificial intelligence could help deliver more personalised support to veterans using the DrinksRation app.
Why did we do this?
Many digital behaviour change interventions provide the same content to everyone. However, people have different motivations, experiences, and circumstances. We wanted to understand whether tailoring messages to individual users could improve engagement and ultimately support reductions in alcohol consumption.
To address this, we developed RationAI, an AI-supported personalisation framework that selects behaviour change messages based on an individual's characteristics and interactions with the app.
What did we find?
The study involved 2,871 UK Armed Forces veterans who registered for the intervention, with participants receiving either standard behaviour change messages or AI-supported personalised messages. Our findings showed that:
- Personalised messaging was feasible to deliver at scale.
- Participants receiving personalised messages showed higher levels of engagement during the early stages of the intervention.
- Greater reductions in alcohol consumption were observed during several key points of the programme.
- The approach was acceptable to users and could be integrated into existing digital health interventions.
While further research is needed to establish long-term effectiveness, the results provide encouraging evidence that AI-supported personalisation may enhance digital interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.
Why does this matter?
Alcohol misuse remains a significant health challenge for many populations, including some veterans. Digital interventions can help bridge gaps in support, but sustained engagement is often difficult to achieve.
Personalisation offers a potential solution. Rather than delivering generic content, AI can help ensure that individuals receive messages that are more relevant to their circumstances, needs, and stage of change.
This work represents an important step towards the development of more adaptive and responsive digital health interventions, not only for alcohol reduction but potentially for a wide range of health behaviours.
A team effort
This publication reflects the work of an excellent multidisciplinary team spanning digital health, behavioural science, military health research, and clinical informatics. It also builds on many years of development and evaluation of the DrinksRation platform.
As our research continues, we are increasingly interested in how AI, wearable technologies, and real-time data can be combined to deliver highly personalised interventions at the moment they are needed most.
Read the paper
The full article is available open access in PLOS Digital Health:
Leightley D, Williamson C, Marshall I, Curcin V, Rona R, Murphy D, Fear N, Goodwin L. (2026). Reducing alcohol consumption in UK Armed Forces veterans: Feasibility of using personalised push notifications with AI. PLOS Digital Health.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0001322
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this work, and especially to the veterans who participated in the research.