Healthcare Robots In The Homes Of Older People: A Randomised Cross-Over Trial

Background Robots are being designed to help older people remain independent in their own homes. Some of the functions robots can provide are companionship, medication management, and vital signs monitoring. Few studies have tested these robots with aged care populations to see effects on outcomes. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate whether robots could increase quality of life and adherence in residents in an independent retirement facility. Methods A cross-over randomized trial was conducted. Twenty-nine participants were given a robot in their home for a period of 6 weeks and had a “no-robot control” period for 6 weeks, in a randomised order. Participants were given a choice between iRobiQ and Cafero. Both robots provided music videos and vital signs monitoring. iRobiQ had the added function of medication management whilst Cafero had Brain Fitness and Skype calling. Participants chose how much they interacted with the robots. Participants with the medication management function were monitored remotely using the RoboGen compliance monitoring service. Statistical analysis of quality of life, adherence and perceptions of the robot was conducted. Results After using the robot, participants thought the robot had significantly less agency than they had expected, but there were no significant changes to quality of life or adherence. Seventeen people reported using it at least once a day everyday primarily for medication, two people said every second day, and six people reported not using it much, and one nil (three participants did not complete the study). Many residents reported the robot was a friend, but that problems with functioning were frustrating. Participants said the robot needed to be more reliable and have more functions. Conclusions These results suggest that robots can be acceptable to older people. In particular, older people find robots companionable and useful for medication reminders. However, more work is required to make the robots more reliable and functional to maximise their usefulness to older people. []