Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Oct 22, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 22, 2024 - Dec 17, 2024
Date Accepted: Jun 11, 2025
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Using a Social Robot in Residential Care for Individuals With Challenges in Daily Structure and Planning: Protocol of a Multiple Baseline Single Case Trial and Health Economic Evaluations
ABSTRACT
Background:
A substantial number of individuals in disability care experience challenges with daily structure and planning, and require 24/7 support. The use of a social robot might decrease the need for support by care professionals, leading to improved wellbeing of individuals with disabilities and increased work engagement for care professionals.
Objective:
This paper presents the research protocol for an effectiveness study and health economic evaluation from a societal perspective on the use of a social robot by individuals experiencing problems with daily structure and planning, who are living in long-term disability care facilities in the Netherlands.
Methods:
The effectiveness of care including the social robot (CSR) in reducing the level of support provided by care professionals will be assessed in a multiple baseline single case study. Thirty participants will be randomly allocated to one of four clusters determining baseline length (2, 3, 4 or5 weeks) of a 13-week study period and a 2-week follow-up conducted 6 months after participants start using the robot. During baseline, participants receive care as usual (CAU). After baseline, participants use the robot as part of their care plan. For each participant, 3-5 personal goals will be formulated and attainment of these goals will be evaluated weekly. Two health economic evaluations from a societal perspective will be performed to assess the short term and long-term cost-effectiveness.
Results:
This study was funded in July 2023. Data collection is planned to be finished in Q3 of 2025. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences.
Conclusions:
This study will provide insights into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a social robot for individuals living in Dutch residential care facilities, aimed at enabling them to live more independently, reduce pressure on Dutch care professionals in times of growing shortages of staff in long-term care, and allow care facilities to make informed decisions about implementing such a technology. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06592404; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06592404
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.