Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Dec 12, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Dec 16, 2025 - Feb 10, 2026
Date Accepted: May 26, 2026
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Service Robots as Work Support for Health Personnel in Long-term Care: Protocol for a Scoping Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Demographic shifts are increasing the global demand for long-term care services, coinciding with a worldwide shortage of healthcare personnel. Service robots, designed to perform tasks in both professional and personal use, are perceived as a potential solution to alleviate healthcare personnel’s workload and enhance the quality of care. However, the existing literature is fragmented and heterogeneous, with a limited emphasis on the role of service robots in supporting residents rather than healthcare personnel. Furthermore, there is a lack of consistent definitions of service robotic technologies and a scarcity of studies on implementation models and frameworks.
Objective:
This scoping review aims to map and synthesize evidence regarding the implementation of service robots as work support for healthcare personnel in long-term care settings.
Methods:
A comprehensive three-step search will be conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, CENTRAL, Scopus, and CINAHL, along with grey literature databases and institutional repositories. Eligible sources encompass empirical studies and grey literature involving service robots, healthcare personnel, residents aged 65 years or older, and stakeholders such as informal caregivers within institutional long-term care. Exclusions apply to studies on home care, medical or industrial robots, and non-robotic technologies. Data will be extracted and analysed using the JBI methodology, with findings presented in tables, diagrams, and narrative summaries to identify gaps and inform future research and implementation strategies.
Results:
This protocol was developed in October 2025 and subsequently registered in November 2025. A comprehensive search strategy was formulated and completely conducted on October 24, 2025. The screening of titles and abstracts was completed in November 2025. The processes of data extraction, analysis, evidence synthesis, and results presentation will be conducted sequentially, with the scoping review expected to be finalized by April 2026.
Conclusions:
The findings of this proposed scoping review are anticipated to delineate the scope, characteristics, and implementation models of service robots employed to support healthcare personnel in executing routine tasks for older adults in long-term care settings. Furthermore, the review is expected to identify research gaps within the existing literature, elucidate key concepts, and establish a foundation for future empirical investigations into implementation strategies for service robots in healthcare. Clinical Trial: This protocol was registered in Open Science Framework on November 7, 2025. Register: https://osf.io/t5p2x
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