JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The growing demand for elderly care due to aging populations and healthcare workforce shortages requires innovative solutions. Socially assistive robots (SARs) are increasingly explored for their potential to reduce workload by handling routine tasks. Yet, adoption can be hindered by various healthcare workers’s concerns.

Objective:

This study examined the perceptions of healthcare workers toward SARs before and after a pilot use in a clinical nursing care setting. The study focused on SAR usability, emotional appropriateness, and readiness for adoption.

Methods:

A mixed-methods pilot study was conducted at the East Tallinn Central Hospital’s Nursing Care Clinic in collaboration with Tallinn University of Technology. The TEMI v3 robot was used for two weeks for visitor guidance, goods delivery, and patrolling tasks. Healthcare workers filled in pre- and post-intervention surveys with Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed for changes in perceived safety, trust, and usability. Qualitative data underwent thematic analysis to understand participants’ opinions.

Results:

Out of 45 involved healthcare workers, 20 completed the pre-test survey, and 5 completed the post-test survey. Pre-test results show limited previous exposure to SARs (85%) and mixed perceptions of their role, with 45% viewing SARs as machines and 30% as somewhat human-like. Although 60% believed SARs could become mainstream within 5-10 years, there were concerns about the robot’s emotional adequacy and job displacement. Post-test findings showed increased confidence in SARs, with all respondents perceiving them as safe tools. Qualitative results indicate improved trust and readiness to integrate SARs into daily routines, with 80% being willing to advocate for SAR use. Still, participants noted limited impact on facilitating their jobs.

Conclusions:

The study indicates that short-term collaboration with SARs can enhance healthcare workers’ confidence and their readiness for adoption. However, actual use would need proper emotional adequacy from the robot and aligning its functionalities with specific care needs. The future studies need to examine long-term impacts on care quality and job satisfaction, and also strategies to address generational differences and technophobia among healthcare staff. Transparent communication and proper training are required for ensuring acceptance. Clinical Trial: This trial was registered with the Research Ethics Committee of the National Institute for Health Development in Estonia under protocol number #8.3/13-24, dated May 29, 2024.