The influence of culture on attitudes towards humanoid and animal‐like robots: an integrative review

Purpose The aim of the present review is to explore the influence of culture on attitudes towards humanoid and animal‐like robots. Design An integrative review of current evidence. Methods Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched from 2000 to 2017. A total of 22 articles met the inclusion criteria and were retrieved and analyzed. Findings Culture influences attitudes and preferences towards robots, but due to the limitations of the reviewed studies, concrete conclusions cannot be made. More consistent evidence was found with regard to the influence of culture on nonverbal behaviors and communication styles, with people being more accepting of a robot that behaved more closely to their own culture. Conclusions The research field of human–robot interaction provides the current evidence on the influence that culture has on attitudes towards humanoid and animal‐like robots, but more research that is guided by strong theoretical frameworks is needed. Clinical Relevance With the increased use of humanoid robots in the healthcare system, it is imperative that nurses and other healthcare professionals explore and understand the different factors that can affect the use of robots with patients

Views of nurses and other health and social care workers on the use of assistive humanoid and animal-like robots in health and social care: a scoping review

Background: Robots are introduced and used in many health and social care settings, from the operating room to the care of older adults with dementia. Objectives: The goal of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the existing evidence related to the views of nursing staff and other health and social care workers about the use of assistive humanoid and animal-like robots in the health and social care sector. Methods: Using the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines we searched MEDLINE, PUBMED, CINHAL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore digital library. Nineteen (19) articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were retrieved, reviewed and summarised. Results: Health and social care workers reported mixed views regarding the use of robots in a healthcare setting. They mainly focused on the impact that robots could have on their patients and not to themselves. They considered an array of tasks that robots could perform; they addressed the issue of patient safety and raised concerns about privacy. Conclusions: A limited number of studies have explored the views of health and social care workers about the use of robots. Considering the fast pace with which technology is advancing in the care field, and with professionals in health and social care increasingly being asked to use such technologies, it is critical to conduct more research in this area Impact Statement: Robots will increasingly have a role to play in nursing, health and social care. The potential impact will be challenging for the healthcare workforce. It is therefore important for nurses and other health and social care workers to engage in discussion regarding the contribution of robots and their impact not only on nursing care but also on future roles of health and social care workers

Caring robots are here to help

Introducing Transcultural Robotic Nursin

Enablers and barriers to the implementation of socially assistive humanoid robots in health and social care: a systematic review

Objectives: Socially assistive humanoid robots are considered a promising technology to tackle the challenges in health and social care posed by the growth of the ageing population. The purpose of our study was to explore the current evidence on barriers and enablers for the implementation of humanoid robots in health and social care. Design: Systematic review of studies entailing hands-on interactions with a humanoid robot. Setting: From April 2018 to June 2018, databases were searched using a combination of the same search terms for articles published during the last decade. Data collection was conducted by using the Rayyan software, a standardised predefined grid, and a risk of bias and a quality assessment tool. Participants: Post-experimental data were collected and analysed for a total of 420 participants. Participants comprised: older adults (n=307) aged ≥60 years, with no or some degree of age-related cognitive impairment, residing either in residential care facilities or at their home; care home staff (n=106); and informal caregivers (n=7).Primary outcomes Identification of enablers and barriers to the implementation of socially assistive humanoid robots in health and social care, and consequent insights and impact. Future developments to inform further research. Results: Twelve studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. None of the selected studies had an experimental design; hence overall quality was low with high risks of biases. Several studies had no comparator, no baseline, small samples, and self-reported measures only. Within this limited evidence base, the enablers found were enjoyment, usability, personalisation and familiarisation. Barriers were related to technical problems, to the robots’ limited capabilities and the negative preconceptions towards the use of robots in healthcare. Factors which produced mixed results were the robot’s human-like attributes, previous experience with technology and views of formal and informal carers. Conclusions: The available evidence related to implementation factors of socially assistive humanoid robots for older adults is limited, mainly focusing on aspects at individual level, and exploring acceptance of this technology. Investigation of elements linked to the environment, organisation, societal and cultural milieu, policy and legal framework is necessary

Embedding ethics in the design of culturally competent socially assistive robots

Research focusing on the development of socially assistive robots (SARs) that will promote the health, well-being and quality of life of older persons and of their caregivers has been growing in recent years. This growth has prompted a great deal of ethical reflection on the future of SARs in care, but there is an increasing awareness of the divide that often separates the settings in which ethics research and debate take place from those where technological innovation is practiced. Different frameworks have been proposed to handle the ethical dimension of technology from within the design and development process, including Value Sensitive Design (VSD). VSD has been defined as a theoretically grounded approach to the design of technology that accounts for human values in a principled and comprehensive manner throughout the design process. Inspired in part by VSD, we have developed a process geared towards embedding ethics at the core of CARESSES, an international multidisciplinary project that aims to design the first culturally competent SAR for the care of older adults. Here we describe that process, including how we utilized qualitative thematic analysis to extract key ethical concepts from relevant ethical guidelines (Alzheimer Europe's Guidelines and Position on the Ethical Use of Assistive Technologies for/by People with Dementia), and how we applied those concepts to the scenarios that describe how the CARESSES robot will interact with individuals belonging to different cultures and provide the grounding for its cultural competence. This straightforward approach highlights the ethical implications of the robot’s behavior during the design process and thus it enables researchers to identify and engage with ethical problems proactively, rather than restrict ethics to retrospective assessments. With suitable modifications, it may be usefully applied in other research projects involving SARs

Towards a national strategy for the provision of spiritual care during major health disasters: a qualitative study

Background Spirituality is beneficial to health. Evidence around the benefits of Spiritual care (SC) is advancing, and training is becoming part of healthcare professional development. As the COVID-19 crisis showed, during major health disasters (MHDs), the demand for SC grows exponentially, while the burden of care and focus on preserving life often hamper its provision. Nonetheless, existing health emergency strategic frameworks lack preparedness for the provision of SC. Aim The aim of this study was to identify the components for a National Strategy (NS) for the provision of SC during MHDs. Methods Descriptive, cross-sectional, qualitative phenomenological design based on individual, semi-structured e-interviews with nursing managers and National Health Service/volunteer chaplains based in England. Thematic analysis of 25 e-interview data was performed based on a dialogic collaborative process. Results and Discussion Eleven themes were identified as components of the proposed NS. From these components, specific recommendations for practical actions are provided. An integrated framework approach and smart investments in resources, staff training and technologies should be led by the paradigm of culturally competent and compassionate care. Conclusion The need to have strategic frameworks, both national and local, that better equip a country healthcare sector to prevent, face, and recover from MHDs is paramount. Catering for the spiritual needs of the affected population should be a key aspect of any health emergency strategy to ensure the preservation of quality care

Spiritual support during COVID-19 in England: a scoping study of online sources

Spiritual support is a key element of holistic care, and better healthcare professionals training and stronger strategic guidelines become urgent in light of health disasters and emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, the aim of this study was to explore spiritual support provision within mass and social media and the websites of spiritual leaders, institutions and NHS chaplaincy units during COVID-19 in England, between March and May 2020. A scoping review design informed by Levac and colleagues’ five-staged framework was adopted, and adapted with a multi-strategy search to scope the different domains of online sources. Results revealed that spiritual support for dying patients, their families, health care staff, spiritual leaders and chaplains, had to be drastically reduced, both in quality and quantity, as well as being provided via different technological devices or domestic symbolic actions. No mention was found of a central strategy for the provision of spiritual support. This study points to the importance of developing centralized strategies to prepare healthcare systems and professionals in relation to spiritual support provision, both routinely and during health disasters and emergencies. Further research will have to explore innovative practices, in particular the role of digital technologies, in spiritual support provision

Encoding guidelines for a culturally competent robot for elderly care

The functionalities and behaviours of socially assistive robots for the care of older people are usually defined by the robot’s designers with limited room for runtime adaptation to meet the preferences, expectations and needs of the assisted person. However, adaptation plays a crucial role for the robot’s acceptability and ultimately for its effectiveness. Culture, which deeply influences a person’s preferences and habits, can be viewed as an invaluable “enabling technology” to achieve such level of adaptation. This paper discusses how guidelines describing culturally competent assistive behaviours can be encoded in a robot to effectively tune its actions, gestures and words. The proposed system is implemented on a Pepper robot and tested with an Indian persona, whose habits and preferences the robot discovers and adapts to at runtime