Technology in care systems: Displacing, reshaping, reinstating or degrading roles?

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Technology and Innovation
• Healthcare Studies

Background:

• Policy in the UK care sector emphasizes technology for efficiency amid workforce shortages.
• Existing research on telecare's impact is limited, with under-researched job quality implications of newer digital technologies.
• Adult social care settings are increasingly deploying smart digital technologies and robotics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how robotics, telecare, and mainstream digital technologies generate new forms of work in UK adult social care.
• To analyze the implications of these technologies for job quality within the care sector.
• To critique the tendency to prioritize technology, potentially leading to diminished care roles.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on robotics in care.
• Empirical studies on telecare and smart digital technology use in UK adult social care.
• Analysis of generated work forms and their impact on job quality.

Main Results:

• Digital technologies are reshaping roles within the care sector.
• The deployment of technology can lead to the creation of roles with compromised job quality.
• Specific new roles identified include 'machine babysitters' and 'fauxtomatons'.

Conclusions:

• Prioritizing technological solutions in care may inadvertently devalue human interaction and worker roles.
• Further research is needed on the long-term effects of digital technologies on care work and job quality.
• The findings suggest a need for a more balanced approach to technology integration in social care.