Social Robots for Hospitalized Children

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Social robots (SRs) are increasingly present in medical and educational contexts, but their use in inpatient pediatric settings has not been demonstrated in studies. In this study, we aimed to (1) describe the introduction of SR technology into the pediatric inpatient setting through an innovative partnership among a pediatric teaching hospital, robotics development, and computational behavioral science laboratories and (2) present feasibility and acceptability data. METHODS: Fifty-four children ages 3 to 10 years were randomly exposed to 1 of 3 interventions: (1) interactive SR teddy bear; (2) tablet-based avatar version of the bear; or (3) plush teddy bear with human presence. We monitored intervention enrollment and completion patterns, obtained qualitative feedback on acceptability of SR use from child life–specialist stakeholders, and assessed children’s positive and negative affect, anxiety, and pain intensity pre- and postintervention. RESULTS: The intervention was well received and appeared feasible, with 93% of those enrolled completing the study (with 80% complete parent data). Children exposed to the SR reported more positive affect relative to those who received a plush animal. SR interactions were characterized by greater levels of joyfulness and agreeableness than comparison interventions. Child life specialist stakeholders reported numerous potential benefits of SR technology in the pediatric setting. CONCLUSIONS: The SR appears to be an engaging tool that may provide new ways to address the emotional needs of hospitalized children, potentially increasing access to emotionally targeted interventions. Rigorous development and validation of SR technology in pediatrics could ultimately lead to scalable and cost-effective tools to improve the patient care experience.

Exploring Teens as Robot Operators, Users and Witnesses in the Wild

“…Social robots have been highly effective for increasing social interactions and communication for children with autism (Fernaeus et al, 2010;Scassellati et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2013). In addition, social robots have been shown to reduce anxiety in children who are hospitalized (Jeong, 2017;Logan et al, 2019). Little work has specifically explored the relationship between teens and social robots.…”

Feasibility and acceptability of an animatronic duck intervention for promoting adaptation to the in‐patient setting among pediatric patients receiving treatment for cancer

“…Robotic devices are a promising intervention as they provide elements of distraction to children undergoing stressful and painful medical experiences . A recent study demonstrated that a robotic bear improved hospitalized children's mood more than a stuffed animal or application version of the bear . Animatronic devices have also been shown to reduce physiologic distress among children aged 2‐7 years undergoing radiation therapy procedures and to improve coping .…”

“…[8][9][10] A recent study demonstrated that a robotic bear improved hospitalized children's mood more than a stuffed animal or application version of the bear. 11 Animatronic devices have also been shown to reduce physiologic distress among children aged 2-7 years undergoing radiation therapy procedures 12 and to improve coping. 13 Beran et al found that children interacting with a robotic device during vaccination had reduced experiences of pain.…”

Disseminação De Informação Em Saúde E Música No Contexto Hospitalar Pediátrico

“…No que se refere às necessidades emocionais de pacientes pediátricos e suas famílias no contexto hospitalar, Logan et al (2019) realizaram um estudo empregando robôs sociais com 54 crianças de 3 a 10 anos de idade. Tais robôs eram, basicamente, ursinhos de pelúcia interativos.…”