The Potential use of Social Robots in Acute Paediatric Settings: A mixed-methods exploration of feasibility, acceptance, and utility.

The hospital can be an anxious place for paediatric patients. Reducing and managing anxiety in children is important; finding tools and interventions to support this is essential to the healthcare of paediatric patients. Social robots offer a new way of interacting with children and have the potential to reduce negative emotions. Even though research has found that social robots could potentially be an anxiety-preventing tool, there is no research exploring how children play in hospital settings and which features are required for social robots to impact paediatric patients positively. There are also gaps regarding parents of paediatric patients' and healthcare professionals' views on social robots and how they feel about using them as a tool within a hospital setting. This thesis examined the feasibility of using social robots in four hospital settings to address this gap. Observations of paediatric patients revealed the importance of tactile play and games with rules as popular forms of interaction with social robots. Questionnaires and interviews gathered feedback from paediatric patients, parents, and healthcare professionals. Overall, the response to social robots was positive, with parents and healthcare professionals acknowledging their potential benefits in reducing anxiety. However, some paediatric patients did not find the social robot relaxing, and there were mixed opinions on its anxiety-reducing capabilities. While parents noticed a change in their children's negative moods and enjoyed the interaction, a few were uncertain about anxiety reduction. Healthcare professionals expressed excitement about social robots but sought further clarity on their practical implementation in a hospital setting. Despite the promising aspects, this thesis highlights the need for further research and development. Large-scale comparisons of social robots in diverse hospital settings and longitudinal studies with paediatric patients are warranted to gain deeper insights and enhance the practicality of using social robots as anxiety-reducing tools in paediatric care