Social robots in elderly healthcare: a burden or a gift?

The healthcare sector is currently under enormous pressure and the COVID-19 pandemic does not improve this situation. The quality of healthcare will be negatively impacted when this pressure continues in the longer term. In 2050 it is expected that a total of 2.1 billion people will be aged 60+ years old. To overcome the increasing demand for healthcare by this age group, various studies are being conducted into various technological solutions, such as social robots. In this study, the Alpha Mini social robot was used in an experiment to research which tasks a social robot could assist with, to reduce the work pressure of healthcare professionals and to help the elderly live longer at their own homes. The experiment was carried out using interviews with healthcare professionals and informal caregivers about the demonstrated Alpha Mini. In addition to the experiment and interviews a survey was sent out to 237 healthcare organizations in the Netherlands to identify the 1) work pressure, 2) daily tasks, 3) social robot experiences, and 4) the features a social robot should have to gather requirements. The experiment failed due to work pressure at the healthcare organization. The survey resulted in 181 respondents. The results suggest that tasks such as reminders, setting alarms and physiotherapy have a great potential to help the healthcare professional in reducing their work pressure and tasks, and the elderly to be able to stay living longer at their own home.

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Mitigating Children’s Pain and Anxiety during Blood Draw Using Social Robots

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10101211 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1211

Author(s):

Matthijs H. J. Smakman ◽

Koen Smit ◽

Lotte Buser ◽

Tom Monshouwer ◽

Nigel van Putten ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Young Patients ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Social Robots ◽

Social Robot ◽

Blood Collection ◽

Medical Procedure ◽

Blood Draw ◽

The Social ◽

Children's Pain

Young pediatric patients who undergo venipuncture or capillary blood sampling often experience high levels of pain and anxiety. This often results in distressed young patients and their parents, increased treatment times, and a higher workload for healthcare professionals. Social robots are a new and promising tool to mitigate children’s pain and anxiety. This study aims to purposefully design and test a social robot for mitigating stress and anxiety during blood draw of children. We first programmed a social robot based on the requirements expressed by experienced healthcare professionals during focus group sessions. Next, we designed a randomized controlled experiment in which the social robot was applied as a distraction method to measure its capacity to mitigate pain and anxiety in children during blood draw in a children’s hospital setting. Children who interacted with the robot showed significantly lower levels of anxiety before actual blood collection, compared to children who received regular medical treatment. Children in the middle classes of primary school (aged 6–9) seemed especially sensitive to the robot’s ability to mitigate pain and anxiety before blood draw. Children’s parents overall expressed strong positive attitudes toward the use and effectiveness of the social robot for mitigating pain and anxiety. The results of this study demonstrate that social robots can be considered a new and effective tool for lowering children’s anxiety prior to the distressing medical procedure of blood collection.

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The Social Robot in Rehabilitation and Assistance: What is the Future?

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9030244 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 244

Author(s):

Daniele Giansanti

Keyword(s):

The Elderly ◽

Social Robots ◽

Social Robot ◽

Clinical Use ◽

Research Development ◽

Future Directions ◽

Collaborative Robotics ◽

Research Perspectives ◽

The Social ◽

The Future

This commentary aims to address the field of social robots both in terms of the global situation and research perspectives. It has four polarities. First, it revisits the evolutions in robotics, which, starting from collaborative robotics, has led to the diffusion of social robots. Second, it illustrates the main fields in the employment of social robots in rehabilitation and assistance in the elderly and handicapped and in further emerging sectors. Third, it takes a look at the future directions of the research development both in terms of clinical and technological aspects. Fourth, it discusses the opportunities and limits, starting from the development and clinical use of social robots during the COVID-19 pandemic to the increase of ethical discussion on their use.

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Quantity and Quality of Healthcare Professionals, Transfer Delay and In-Hospital Mortality Among ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Mixed-Method Cross-Sectional Study of 89 Emergency Medical Stations in China

10.21203/rs.3.rs-553235/v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qiang Zhou ◽

Wenya Tian ◽

Rengyu Wu ◽

Chongzhen Qin ◽

Hongjuan Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hospital Mortality ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

St Segment Elevation ◽

Transfer Delay ◽

Emergency Medical ◽

St Segment

Abstract Background Transfer delay provokes prolongation of prehospital time, which contributes to treatment delay that endangers patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). A key constraint in reducing transfer delay is the shortage of emergency healthcare workers. This study was to explore the influence of the quality and quantity of healthcare professionals at emergency medical stations on transfer delay and in-hospital mortality among STEMI patients. Methods A cross-sectional study using mixed methods was conducted at 89 emergency stations in 9 districts in China’s Shenzhen province. Based on a sample of 31 hospitals, 1255 healthcare professionals, and 3131 patients with STEMI, a generalized linear model was used to explore the associations between the quality and quantity of healthcare professionals and transfer delay and in-hospital mortality among STEMI patients. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed to explore the reasons for the lack of qualified healthcare professionals at emergency medical stations. Results The analysis of the quantity of healthcare professionals showed that an increase of one physician per 100,000 individuals was associated with decreased transfer delay for patients with STEMI by 5.087 min (95% CI − 6.722, − 3.452; P < 0.001). An increase of one nurse per 100,000 individuals was associated with decreased transfer delay by 1.471 min (95% CI − 2.943, 0.002; P = 0.050). Analysis of the quality of healthcare professionals showed that an increase of one physician with an undergraduate degree per 100,000 individuals was associated with decreased transfer delay for patients with STEMI by 8.508 min (95% CI − 10.457, − 6.558; P < 0.001). An increase of one nurse with an undergraduate degree per 100,000 individuals was associated with decreased transfer delay by 6.645 min (95% CI − 8.218, − 5.072; P < 0.001). Qualitative analysis illustrated that the main reasons for low satisfaction of healthcare professionals at emergency medical stations included low income, limited promotion opportunities, and poor working environment. Conclusions The quantity and quality of emergency healthcare professionals are key factors influencing transfer delay in STEMI patients. The government should increase the quantity of healthcare professionals at emergency medical stations, strengthen the training, and improve their performance by linking with clinical pathways to enhance job enthusiasm among emergency healthcare professionals.

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Knowledge Management in Hospitals

Creating Knowledge-Based Healthcare Organizations ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-459-0.ch002 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 14-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kevin C. Desouza

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Management ◽

Process Model ◽

Lower Cost ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Management Process ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Medical Field

The medical field in recent years has been facing increasing pressures for lower cost and increased quality of healthcare. These two pressures are forcing dramatic changes throughout the industry. Managing knowledge in healthcare enterprises is hence crucial for optimal achievement of lowered cost of services with higher quality. The following chapter focuses on developing and fostering a knowledge management process model. We then look at key barriers for healthcare organizations to cross in order to fully manage knowledge.

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Examination of Quality of Life in Workplace Environments

10.4018/978-1-6684-2405-6.ch058 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1161-1174

Author(s):

Lesley Clack

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Occupational Stress ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Positive Impact ◽

High Stress ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Increased Risk

Healthcare organizations are commonly known to be high-stress environments due to the life-or-death nature of the work. Thus, examining the quality of life in healthcare professionals is of significance to the field. Quality of life is a common measurement in healthcare, typically in determining the effectiveness of treatment on patients. But, quality of life in healthcare workers is often overlooked. A review of the literature was conducted regarding factors that impact quality of life of workers in healthcare environments. The areas of occupational stress, burnout, and workplace violence were explored in depth in order to understand the potential negative consequences of each on quality of life in healthcare professionals. In comparison to other industries, healthcare professionals are at an increased risk for occupational stress, burnout, and workplace violence. Effectively managing these areas could have a positive impact on quality of life in healthcare workers.

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An Android-Enabled PHR-based System for the Provision of Homecare Services

International Journal on Measurement Technologies and Instrumentation Engineering ◽

10.4018/ijmtie.2013040101 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 1-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Vassiliki Koufi ◽

Flora Malamateniou ◽

George Vassilacopoulos

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Point Of Care ◽

Treatment Plan ◽

Personal Health Record ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Appropriate Treatment ◽

Treatment Plans ◽

The Continuum

Homecare is an important component of the continuum of care as it provides the potential to improve quality of life and quality of healthcare delivery while containing costs. Personal Health Record (PHR) systems are intended to reach patients outside of care settings and influence their behaviors thus allowing for more effective homecare services. To this end, these systems need to evolve well beyond providing a consolidated patient record, in ways that make it more widely applicable and valuable to health systems. The development of applications on top of PHR systems can allow them to function as a platform for both patients and healthcare professionals to exchange information and interact with the health system. This paper presents a prototype PHR-based system that aims at supporting chronic disease management at any point of care or decision making through familiar environments such as Google’s Android. In particular, it assists healthcare professionals in assessing an individual’s condition and in forming the appropriate treatment plan for him/her while it provides individuals with step-to-step guidance to their treatment plans.

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Entrepreneurial orientation and burnout among healthcare professionals

Journal of Health Organization and Management ◽

10.1108/jhom-09-2019-0259 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 16-22

Author(s):

Claudine Kearney ◽

Padraic Dunne ◽

William J. Wales

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Care ◽

Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Focal Point ◽

Well Being ◽

Organizational Outcomes ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

High Tech ◽

Content Type

PurposeAmong healthcare professionals, burnout is one of the key challenges affecting organizational outcomes, employee productivity and quality of care. The knowledge of burnout and its root causes and primary contributors continues to grow yet remains limited. In many environments, an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has been shown to dramatically improve organizational outcomes and performance. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate critical research areas at the intersection of organizational EO and employee burnout within the healthcare sector.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model which considers how EO has the potential to provide an operational context that may negate, lessen or delay the negative effects of burnout among healthcare professionals, is advanced as a useful focal point to foster research exploring connections between organizational orientation and employee well-being.FindingsInsights into how an opportunity-embracing EO characteristic of high-tech firms may shape how stress is experienced and address burnout when applied to healthcare organizations. A decrease in burnout stands to improve quality of care as well as the satisfaction of staff and patients alike, including a greater sense of autonomy, engagement, motivation and passion.Originality/valueThis research agenda proposes new insights and the need for additional research into how the manifestation of organizational EO may contribute to the field of medicine, influence burnout and enhance the well-being among healthcare professionals.

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The Challenges of the IS/IT Projects in the Healthcare Sector

International Journal of Applied Research on Public Health Management ◽

10.4018/ijarphm.2019010105 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 67-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jorge Gomes ◽

Mário Romão

Keyword(s):

User Satisfaction ◽

Health Sector ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Operational Efficiency ◽

Integrated System ◽

Superior Performance ◽

Healthcare Sector ◽

Emergent Technologies

Essentially, the purpose of investment in information systems and information technology (IS/IT) is to improve the operational efficiency of the organizations, reducing costs and improving levels of quality. Thus, many traditional appraisal techniques are used to evaluate tangible benefits, which are based on direct project costs. Since the 1980s, IS/IT has positioned itself as a strategic tool that through flexibility and innovative ways can produce superior performance. The health sector has sought to improve its effectiveness and efficiency by adopting IS/IT solutions to increase the quality of services, namely patient safety, organizational efficiency, and end-user satisfaction. Hospitals are complex organizations, and this complexity magnifies the opportunity for inevitable human errors. A poorly integrated system can decrease operational efficiency and reduce the quality of healthcare services. The issue remains controversial, as evidenced by several articles. The authors noticed that emergent technologies may offer opportunities to those who can exploit them effectively.

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Leveraging massive open online courses to expand quality of healthcare education to health practitioners in Rwanda

BMJ Open Quality ◽

10.1136/bmjoq-2018-000532 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. e000532 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kirstin Woody Scott ◽

Theophile Dushime ◽

Vincent Rusanganwa ◽

Liana Woskie ◽

Clint Attebery ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Patient Safety ◽

Global Health ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Quality Of Healthcare ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Online Course ◽

Massive Open Online ◽

District Hospitals

Improving the quality of healthcare delivery is increasingly a global health priority. However, quality improvement training opportunities that provide theoretical foundations and basic skills for patient safety and other quality initiatives have been limited or historically out of reach, especially in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). To address this gap, the Harvard Initiative on Global Health Quality (HIGHQ) created and launched a massive open online course (MOOC) in 2014 focused on patient safety and quality of care using the edX platform. More than 30 000 students from across 195 countries registered for the online course. This paper summarises an innovative educational partnership between the course team and one of these countries, Rwanda, to develop a blended-learning model to bolster participation in this new course among Rwandan healthcare professionals. Although a small country, Rwanda was among the top performing countries for attracting course registrants and was the leading country for the proportion of enrollees who ultimately completed the course. Further, half (21 of 42) of Rwanda’s district hospitals opted to appoint a PH555x course facilitator at their site to help lead regular meetings and discussions about the course content at their facility. The majority of Rwandan enrollees were health professionals (63%) and 81% reported that PH555x was their first experience taking an online course. Among those participating in the ‘flipped’ component at hospital sites, 94% reported that the course helped them to think of specific ways to improve healthcare quality at their facility. In this paper, we describe this innovative public–private educational model, challenges to implementation and lessons learned that may be helpful for future MOOC developers who wish to augment learning opportunities among healthcare professionals in LMICs.

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