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Cao HL, Pham DD, Luu TH, Le PH, Nguyen QT, Thien TPT, Nguyen PM, Nguyen HD, Nguyen CN. Therapists' perspective on acceptance of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation in a middle-income country: a study from Vietnam. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2024:1-9. [PMID: 39011569 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2024.2378057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Robot-assisted physical rehabilitation offers promising benefits for patients, yet its adoption among therapists remains a complex challenge. This study investigates the acceptance of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation technology among therapists in Vietnam, a middle-income country with a growing demand for rehabilitation services. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), an online survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore therapists' attitudes and intentions towards using this technology. The results show that Vietnamese therapists recognised its potential benefits and expressed a willingness to use it. Although having similar acceptance patterns compared to developed regions, they demonstrated significantly higher levels of agreement across acceptance constructs. This may be attributed to factors such as the novelty effect, cultural perceptions of robots, and the high workload of therapists in Vietnam. Gender and location were found to influence two acceptance constructs-subjective norms and image, respectively-highlighting the need for tailored strategies in technology implementation. The study underscores the importance of considering socio-cultural factors in the adoption of technology and provides insights for enhancing the acceptance and effectiveness of robot-assisted physical rehabilitation in Vietnam. This contributes to the global understanding of therapist acceptance of technology in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoang-Long Cao
- Brubotics and Flanders Make, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
- College of Engineering, Can Tho University, Vietnam
| | - Duy Duc Pham
- Department of Traditional Medicine, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam
| | | | - Phuong Hoang Le
- Department of Traditional Medicine, Ha Noi Rehabilitation Hospital, Vietnam
| | - Quoc Tuan Nguyen
- Department of Traditional Medicine, Gia Lai Hospital of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vietnam
| | - Thai Phan Tung Thien
- Department of Traditional Medicine, Ca Mau Hospital of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vietnam
| | - Phuong Minh Nguyen
- Department of Medicine, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam
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Vagnetti R, Camp N, Story M, Ait-Belaid K, Mitra S, Zecca M, Di Nuovo A, Magistro D. Instruments for Measuring Psychological Dimensions in Human-Robot Interaction: Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e55597. [PMID: 38682783 PMCID: PMC11187516 DOI: 10.2196/55597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous user-related psychological dimensions can significantly influence the dynamics between humans and robots. For developers and researchers, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the psychometric properties of the available instruments used to assess these dimensions as they indicate the reliability and validity of the assessment. OBJECTIVE This study aims to provide a systematic review of the instruments available for assessing the psychological aspects of the relationship between people and social and domestic robots, offering a summary of their psychometric properties and the quality of the evidence. METHODS A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines across different databases: Scopus, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore. The search strategy encompassed studies meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) the instrument could assess psychological dimensions related to social and domestic robots, including attitudes, beliefs, opinions, feelings, and perceptions; (2) the study focused on validating the instrument; (3) the study evaluated the psychometric properties of the instrument; (4) the study underwent peer review; and (5) the study was in English. Studies focusing on industrial robots, rescue robots, or robotic arms or those primarily concerned with technology validation or measuring anthropomorphism were excluded. Independent reviewers extracted instrument properties and the methodological quality of their evidence following the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments guidelines. RESULTS From 3828 identified records, the search strategy yielded 34 (0.89%) articles that validated and examined the psychometric properties of 27 instruments designed to assess individuals' psychological dimensions in relation to social and domestic robots. These instruments encompass a broad spectrum of psychological dimensions. While most studies predominantly focused on structural validity (24/27, 89%) and internal consistency (26/27, 96%), consideration of other psychometric properties was frequently inconsistent or absent. No instrument evaluated measurement error and responsiveness despite their significance in the clinical context. Most of the instruments (17/27, 63%) were targeted at both adults and older adults (aged ≥18 years). There was a limited number of instruments specifically designed for children, older adults, and health care contexts. CONCLUSIONS Given the strong interest in assessing psychological dimensions in the human-robot relationship, there is a need to develop new instruments using more rigorous methodologies and consider a broader range of psychometric properties. This is essential to ensure the creation of reliable and valid measures for assessing people's psychological dimensions regarding social and domestic robots. Among its limitations, this review included instruments applicable to both social and domestic robots while excluding those for other specific types of robots (eg, industrial robots).
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Vagnetti
- Department of Sport Science, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Camp
- Department of Sport Science, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Story
- Department of Computing & Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Khaoula Ait-Belaid
- Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Suvobrata Mitra
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Massimiliano Zecca
- Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandro Di Nuovo
- Department of Computing & Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Daniele Magistro
- Department of Sport Science, School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Qin S, Zhang J, Sun X, Meng G, Zhuang X, Jia Y, Shi WX, Zhang YP. A scale for measuring nursing digital application skills: a development and psychometric testing study. BMC Nurs 2024; 23:366. [PMID: 38822276 PMCID: PMC11140889 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-02030-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adoption of digitization has emerged as a new trend in the advancement of healthcare systems. To ensure high-quality care, nurses should possess sufficient skills to assist in the digital transformation of healthcare practices. Suitable tools have seldom been developed to assess nurses' skills in digital applications. This study aimed to develop the Nursing Digital Application Skill Scale (NDASS) and test its psychometric properties. METHODS The Nursing Digital Application Skill Scale was developed in three phases. In Phase 1, an item pool was developed based on previous literature and the actual situation of nursing work. Phase 2 included 14 experts' assessment of content validity and a focus group interview with 30 nurses to pretest the scale. In phase 3, 429 registered nurses were selected from March to June 2023, and item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to refine the number of items and explore the factor structure of the scale. Additionally, reliability was determined by internal consistency and test-retest reliability. RESULTS The final version of the NDASS consisted of 12 items. The content validity index of NDASS reached 0.975 at an acceptable level. The convergent validity test showed that the average variance extracted value was 0.694 (> 0.5) and the composite reliability value was 0.964 (> 0.7), both of which met the requirements. The principal component analysis resulted in a single-factor structure explaining 74.794% of the total variance. All the fitting indices satisfied the standard based upon confirmatory factor analyses, indicating that the single-factor structure contributed to an ideal model fit. The internal consistency appeared high for the NDASS, reaching a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.968. The test-retest reliability was 0.740, and the split-half coefficient was 0.935. CONCLUSION The final version of the NDASS, which possesses adequate psychometric properties, is a reliable and effective instrument for nurses to self-assess digital skills in nursing work and for nursing managers in designing nursing digital skill training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijia Qin
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Jianzhong Zhang
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Xiaomin Sun
- Department of Nursing, Xi'an No.3 Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710018, China
| | - Ge Meng
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Xinqi Zhuang
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Yitong Jia
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Wen-Xin Shi
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Yin-Ping Zhang
- Faculty of Nursing, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, No.76, West Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
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Huo W, Yuan X, Li X, Luo W, Xie J, Shi B. Increasing acceptance of medical AI: The role of medical staff participation in AI development. Int J Med Inform 2023; 175:105073. [PMID: 37119693 PMCID: PMC10125218 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical artificial intelligence (AI) in varying degrees has exerted significant influence on many medical fields, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known regarding how to address the reluctance of medical staff to use AI technology. While recent research has highlighted the importance of medical staff participation in the development of AI, the current understanding of influence of medical staff participation on acceptance of AI is limited. OBJECTIVES To provide insights into the mechanism that how medical staff participation impacts on the medical staff's acceptance of AI and to examine the moderating effect of speciesism. METHODS This study was conducted from 6th August to 3rd September. Data was collected from doctors and nurses and a total of 288 valid questionnaires were obtained. Smart PLS 3.2.8 was used as partial least square (PLS) software to validate the research model. RESULTS The study determined that medical staff participation had a significant impact on acceptance of medical AI-IDT (β = 0.35, p ≤ 0.001) and acceptance of medical AI-ADT (β = 0.44, p ≤ 0.001). The results also show that AI self-efficacy and AI anxiety have significant mediating effects and speciesism has significant moderating effects among the theoretical model. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into ways to explore influence factors of acceptance of AI based on user participation perspective. The results indicate that medical staff participation enhances acceptance of medical AI through the cognitive path (i.e., AI self-efficacy) and the affective path (i.e., AI anxiety). These results have practical implications for how organizations assist the staff to accommodate themselves to AI technology in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Huo
- Shanghai University, Chengzhong Road, 201800 Shanghai, China.
| | - Xinze Yuan
- Shanghai University, Chengzhong Road, 201800 Shanghai, China.
| | - Xianmiao Li
- Anhui University of Science and Technology, 168 Taifeng Street, 232000 Huainan, China.
| | - Wenhao Luo
- Shanghai University, Chengzhong Road, 201800 Shanghai, China.
| | - Jiaying Xie
- Shanghai University, Chengzhong Road, 201800 Shanghai, China.
| | - Bowen Shi
- Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy, Hongcao South Road, 200233 Shanghai, China.
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Jarva E, Oikarinen A, Andersson J, Tomietto M, Kääriäinen M, Mikkonen K. Healthcare professionals' digital health competence and its core factors; development and psychometric testing of two instruments. Int J Med Inform 2023; 171:104995. [PMID: 36689840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.104995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare professionals' digital health competence is an important phenomenon to study as healthcare practices are changing globally. Recent research aimed to define this complex phenomenon and identify the current state of healthcare professionals' competence in digitalisation but did not include an overarching outlook when measuring digital health competence of healthcare professionals. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically validate two self-assessed instruments measuring digital health competence and factors associating with it. METHODS The study followed three phases of instrument development and validation: 1) conceptualisation and item pool generation; 2) content validity testing and pilot study; and 3) construct validity and reliability testing. The conceptual background of the instruments was based on individual interviews conducted with healthcare professionals (n = 20) and previous systematic reviews. A total of 17 experts assessed the instrument's content validity. Face validity was evaluated by a group of healthcare professionals (n = 20). Data collection from 817 professionals took place in spring-summer 2022 in nine organisations. Construct validity was confirmed with exploratory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the internal consistency of the instruments. RESULTS The instrument development and validation process resulted in two instruments: DigiHealthCom and DigiComInf. DigiHealthCom included 42 items in 5 factors related to digital health competence, and DigiComInf included 15 items in 3 factors related to educational and organisational factors associated with digital health competence. The DigiHealthCom instrument explained 68.9 % of the total variance and the factors' Cronbach alpha values varied between 0.91 and 0.97. The DigiComInf instrument explained 59.6 % of the total variance and the factors' Cronbach alpha values varied between 0.76 and 0.88. CONCLUSIONS The two instruments gave valid and reliable results in psychometric testing. The instruments could be used to evaluate healthcare professionals' digital health competence and associated factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Jarva
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - A Oikarinen
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, Oulu, Finland.
| | - J Andersson
- Academy of Health and Welfare, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - M Tomietto
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
| | - M Kääriäinen
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, Oulu, Finland
| | - K Mikkonen
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, Oulu, Finland.
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Tojib D, Abdi E, Tian L, Rigby L, Meads J, Prasad T. What’s Best for Customers: Empathetic Versus Solution-Oriented Service Robots. Int J Soc Robot 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s12369-023-00970-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
AbstractA promising application of social robots highlighted by the ongoing labor shortage is to deploy them as service robots at organizational frontlines. As the face of the firms, service robots are expected to provide cognitive and affective supports in response to customer inquiries. However, one question remains unanswered: Would having a robot with a high level of affective support be helpful when such a robot cannot provide a satisfactory level of cognitive support to users? In this study, we aim to address this question by showing that empathetic service robots can be beneficial, although the extent of such benefits depends on the quality of services they provide. Our in-person human–robot interaction study (n = 55) shows that when a service robot can only provide a partial solution, it is preferable for it to express more empathetic behaviors, as users will perceive it to be more useful and will have a better customer experience. However, when a service robot is able to provide a full solution, the level of empathy displayed by it does not result in significant differences on perceived usefulness and customer experience. These findings are further validated in an online experimental study performed in another country (n = 395).
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General Attitudes Towards Robots Scale (GAToRS): A New Instrument for Social Surveys. Int J Soc Robot 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12369-022-00880-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPsychometric scales are useful tools in understanding people’s attitudes towards different aspects of life. As societies develop and new technologies arise, new validated scales are needed. Robots and artificial intelligences of various kinds are about to occupy just about every niche in human society. Several tools to measure fears and anxieties about robots do exist, but there is a definite lack of tools to measure hopes and expectations for these new technologies. Here, we create and validate a novel multi-dimensional scale which measures people’s attitudes towards robots, giving equal weight to positive and negative attitudes. Our scale differentiates (a) comfort and enjoyment around robots, (b) unease and anxiety around robots, (c) rational hopes about robots in general (at societal level) and (d) rational worries about robots in general (at societal level). The scale was developed by extracting items from previous scales, crowdsourcing new items, testing through 3 scale iterations by exploratory factor analysis (Ns 135, 801 and 609) and validated in its final form of the scale by confirmatory factor analysis (N: 477). We hope our scale will be a useful instrument for social scientists who wish to study human-technology relations with a validated scale in efficient and generalizable ways.
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Trust as a second-order construct: Investigating the relationship between consumers and virtual agents. TELEMATICS AND INFORMATICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2022.101811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Savela N, Latikka R, Oksa R, Kortelainen S, Oksanen A. Affective Attitudes Toward Robots at Work: A Population-Wide Four-Wave Survey Study. Int J Soc Robot 2022; 14:1379-1395. [PMID: 35464870 PMCID: PMC9012866 DOI: 10.1007/s12369-022-00877-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractRobotization of work is progressing fast globally, and the process has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing integrated threat theory as a theoretical framework, this study investigated affective attitudes toward introducing robots at work using a four timepoint data (n = 830) from a Finnish working population longitudinal study. We used hybrid multilevel linear regression modelling to study within and between participant effects over time. Participants were more positive toward introducing robots at work during the COVID-19 pandemic than before it. Increased cynicism toward individuals’ own work, robot-use self-efficacy, and prior user experiences with robots predicted positivity toward introducing robots at work over time. Workers with higher perceived professional efficacy were less and those with higher perceived technology-use productivity, robot-use self-efficacy, and prior user experiences with robots were more positive toward introducing robots at work. In addition, the affective attitudes of men, introverts, critical personalities, workers in science and technology fields, and high-income earners were more positive. Robotization of work life is influenced by workers’ psychological well-being factors and perceived as a welcomed change in the social distancing reality of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Savela
- Tampere University, Kalevantie 4, 33100 Tampere, Finland
| | - Rita Latikka
- Tampere University, Kalevantie 4, 33100 Tampere, Finland
| | - Reetta Oksa
- Tampere University, Kalevantie 4, 33100 Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Atte Oksanen
- Tampere University, Kalevantie 4, 33100 Tampere, Finland
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Developing a formative scale to measure consumers’ trust toward interaction with artificially intelligent (AI) social robots in service delivery. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Oksanen A, Savela N, Latikka R, Koivula A. Trust Toward Robots and Artificial Intelligence: An Experimental Approach to Human-Technology Interactions Online. Front Psychol 2020; 11:568256. [PMID: 33343447 PMCID: PMC7744307 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.568256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Robotization and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to change societies profoundly. Trust is an important factor of human-technology interactions, as robots and AI increasingly contribute to tasks previously handled by humans. Currently, there is a need for studies investigating trust toward AI and robots, especially in first-encounter meetings. This article reports findings from a study investigating trust toward robots and AI in an online trust game experiment. The trust game manipulated the hypothetical opponents that were described as either AI or robots. These were compared with control group opponents using only a human name or a nickname. Participants (N = 1077) lived in the United States. Describing opponents with robots or AI did not impact participants' trust toward them. The robot called jdrx894 was the most trusted opponent. Opponents named "jdrx894" were trusted more than opponents called "Michael." Further analysis showed that having a degree in technology or engineering, exposure to robots online and robot use self-efficacy predicted higher trust toward robots and AI. Out of Big Five personality characteristics, openness to experience predicted higher trust, and conscientiousness predicted lower trust. Results suggest trust on robots and AI is contextual and it is also dependent on individual differences and knowledge on technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atte Oksanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Nina Savela
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Rita Latikka
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Aki Koivula
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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Rantanen T, Leppälahti T, Porokuokka J, Heikkinen S. Impacts of a Care Robotics Project on Finnish Home Care Workers' Attitudes towards Robots. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17197176. [PMID: 33007993 PMCID: PMC7579177 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Technological advances in elderly care have been rapid, and the introduction of robots in care will be a topical issue in the near future. There has been little research into the possibility of influencing care workers’ attitudes towards robots by project activities, and how to make the change easier for work communities. This study focuses on a robotics project that took place in elderly and home care services in one municipality in Finland (total of 45 care workers). During the project, four robotics workshops and one extended pilot session were implemented. The study follows quasi-experimental settings, and it included two measurements (before and after project activities) and a control group, but no randomization. The data were collected by questionnaires and were analyzed statistically. The project under study brought about minor positive changes in home care workers’ attitudes towards the usefulness of care robots. In the final measurement, the difference between the test group and the control group was significant in the two dimensions of positive attitudes. The research supports the hypothesis that project activities can be used to influence home care workers’ attitudes towards robots. This can also facilitate the introduction of care robots in home care services. However, the construction of a technology-positive care culture is a long-term process, which requires training and development, technological development and strong strategic management at various levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teemu Rantanen
- Tikkurila Campus, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Ratatie 22, 01300 Vantaa, Finland;
- Correspondence:
| | - Teppo Leppälahti
- Hyvinkää Campus, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Uudenmaankatu 22, 05800 Hyvinkää, Finland;
| | - Jaakko Porokuokka
- The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Itämerenkatu 11-13, 00181 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Sari Heikkinen
- Tikkurila Campus, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Ratatie 22, 01300 Vantaa, Finland;
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Turja T, Taipale S, Kaakinen M, Oksanen A. Care Workers’ Readiness for Robotization: Identifying Psychological and Socio-Demographic Determinants. Int J Soc Robot 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12369-019-00544-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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