An explorative study on robotics for supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during clinical procedures

This short report presents a small-scale explorative study about children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) interaction with robots during clinical interactions. This is part of an ongoing project, which aims at defining a robotic service for supporting children with developmental disabilities and increase the efficiency of routine procedures that may create distress, e.g.having blood taken or an orthopaedic plaster cast applied. Five children with confirmed diagnoses of ASD interacted with two social robots: the small humanoid NAO and the pet-like MiRo. The encounters mixed play activities with a simulated clinical procedure. We included parents/carers in the interaction to ensure the child was comfortable and at ease. The results of video analysis and parents' feedback confirm possible benefits of the physical presence of robots to reduce children’s anxiety and increase compliance with instructions. Parents/carers convincingly support the introduction of robots in hospital procedures to their help children

Reducing negative emotions in children using social robots: systematic review

Background: For many children, visiting the hospital can lead to a state of increased anxiety. Social robots are being explored as a possible tool to reduce anxiety and distress in children attending a clinical or hospital environment. Social robots are designed to communicate and interact through movement, music and speech. Objective: This systematic review aims at assessing the current evidence on the types of social robots used and their impact on children’s anxiety or distress levels when visiting the hospital for outpatient appointments or planned admissions. Methods: Databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Google Scholar were queried for papers published between January 2009 and August 2020 reporting the use of social robots interacting with children in hospital or clinical environments. Results: A total of 10 studies were located and included. Across these 10 studies, 7 different types of robots were used. Anxiety and distress were found to be reduced in the children who interacted with a social robot. Conclusions: Overall, the evidence suggests that social robots hold a promising role in reducing levels of anxiety or distress in children visiting the hospital. However, research on social robots is at an early stage and requires further studies to strengthen the evidence base

Socially assistive robots as mental health interventions for children : a scoping review

Socially Assistive Robots are promising in their potential to promote and support mental health in children. There is a growing number of studies investigating the feasibility and effectiveness of robot interventions in supporting children’s mental wellbeing. Although preliminary evidence suggests that Socially Assistive Robots may have the potential to help address concerns such as stress and anxiety in children, there is a need for a greater focus in examining the impact of robotic interventions in this population. In order to better understand the current state of the evidence in this field and identify critical gaps, we carried out a scoping review of the available literature examining how social robots are investigated as means to support mental health in children. We identified existing types of robot intervention and measures that are being used to investigate specific mental health outcomes. Overall, our findings suggest that robot interventions for children may positively impact mental health outcomes such as relief of distress and increase positive affect. Results also show that the strength of evidence needs to be improved to determine what types of robotic interventions could be most effective and readily implemented in pediatric mental health care. Based on our findings, we propose a set of recommendations to guide further research in this area

Using social robot NAO for emotional support to children at a paediatric emergency department: a randomised clinical trial

Background: Social robots have been used for improving anxiety in children in stressful clinical situations, as during painful procedures. No studies have been performed yet to assess their effect in children while waiting for emergency room consultations. Objective: To assess the impact of social robots in managing stress in children waiting for an emergency room procedure through the assessment of salivary cortisol levels. Methods: This was an open randomised clinical trial in children attending a paediatric emergency department. Children accessing the emergency room were randomised to one of three groups: 1) playing with a NAO social robot; 2) playing with a study nurse; 3) waiting with parents. All children were measured salivary cortisol levels through a swab. Salivary cortisol levels before and after the intervention were compared in the three groups. We calculated the effect size of our interventions through the Cohen's d-based effect size correlation (r). Results: A total of 109 children aged 3 to 10 years were enrolled in the study and 94 had complete data for the analyses. Salivary cortisol levels decreased significantly more in the group exposed to robot interaction than in the other two groups (r=0.75). Cortisol levels decreased more in girls (r=0.92) than boys (r=0.57). Conclusions: Social robots are efficacious in decreasing stress in children accessing the emergency room and may be considered as a tool for improving emotional perceptions of children and their families in such a critical setting. Clinicaltrial: Robot Therapy in Pediatric Emergency, NCT04627909, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04627909

Penggunaan Teknologi Sistem Informasi dan Manajemen sebagai Tehnik untuk Menurunkan Nyeri dan Ansietas pada Pasien Anak

This study aims to synthesize evidence/literature on the use of information system technology in applying active and passive distraction techniques to reduce pain scores in pediatric patients. The research method used in this study is a literature review. The research results based on the search for articles using the PICOT framework in the database Google Scholar were limited to the range of the last ten years, 2010-2020, which obtained five journals. The results showed that active and passive distraction techniques reduced pain scores in pediatric patients. In conclusion, active and passive distraction techniques can be used as non-pharmacological therapy that nurses can do to score pain in pediatric patients.   Keywords: Distraction, Pain, Pediatric Patient

Exploring the needs of children and caregivers to inform design of an artificial intelligence-enhanced social robot in the pediatric emergency department

Background and Objective: Socially assistive robots (SARs) are a promising tool to manage children’s pain and distress related to medical procedures, but current options lack autonomous adaptability. The aim of this study was to understand children’s and caregivers' perceptions surrounding the use of an artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced SAR to provide personalized procedural support to children during intravenous insertion (IVI) to inform the design of such a system following a user-centric approach. Methods: This study presents a descriptive qualitative needs assessment of children and caregivers. Data were collected via semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups. Participants were recruited from two Canadian pediatric emergency departments (EDs) between April 2021 and January 2022. Results: Eleven caregivers and 19 children completed 27 individual interviews and one focus group. Three main themes were identified: A. Experience in the clinical setting, B. Acceptance of and concerns surrounding SARs, and C. Features that support child engagement with SARs. Most participants expressed comfort with robot technology, however, concerns were raised about sharing personal information, photographing/videotaping, and the possibility of technical failure. Suggestions for feature enhancements included increasing movement to engage a child’s attention and tailoring language to developmental age. To enhance the overall ED experience, participants also identified a role for the SAR in the waiting room. Conclusion: Artificial intelligence-enhanced SARs were perceived by children and caregivers as a promising tool for distraction during IVIs and to enhance the overall ED experience. Insights collected will be used to inform the design of an AI-enhanced SAR

Exploring perspectives of people with type-1 diabetes on goalsetting strategies within self-management education and care

Background. Collaborative goal-setting strategies are widely recommended for diabetes self-management support within healthcare systems. Creating self-management plans that fit with peoples’ own goals and priorities has been linked with better diabetic control. Consequently, goal-setting has become a core component of many diabetes selfmanagement programmes such as the ‘Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) programme’. Within DAFNE, people with Type-1 Diabetes (T1D) develop their own goals along with action-plans to stimulate goal-achievement. While widely implemented, limited research has explored how goal-setting strategies are experienced by people with diabetes.Therefore, this study aims to explore the perspectives of people with T1D on theimplementation and value of goal-setting strategies within DAFNE and follow-up diabetes care. Furthermore, views on barriers and facilitators to goal-attainment are explored.Methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 people with T1D who attended a DAFNE-programme. Following a longitudinal qualitative research design, interviews took place 1 week, and 6-8 months after completion of DAFNE. A recurrent cross-sectional approach is applied in which themes will be identified at each time-point using thematic analyses.Expected results. Preliminary identified themes surround the difference in value that participants place on goal-setting strategies, and the lack of support for goal-achievement within diabetes care.Current stage. Data collection complete; data-analysis ongoing.Discussion. Goal-setting strategies are increasingly included in guidelines for diabetes support and have become essential parts of many primary care improvement schemes. Therefore, exploring the perspectives of people with T1D on the value and implementation of goal-setting strategies is vital for their optimal application