Feasibility of a computerized clinical decision support system delivered via a socially assistive robot during grand...

The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility, usability and acceptance of integrating Clinical Decision Support Systems with Socially Assistive Robots into hospital grand rounds.

Adopting Clinical Decision Support Systems in healthcare faces challenges such as complexity, poor integration with workflows, and concerns about data privacy and quality. Issues such as too many alerts, confusing errors, and difficulty using the technology in front of patients make adoption challenging and prevent it from fitting into daily workflows. Making Clinical Decision Support System simple, intuitive and user-friendly is essential to enable its use in daily practice to improve patient care and decision-making.

This six-month pilot study had two participant groups, with total of 40 participants: a longitudinal intervention group (n = 8) and a single-session evaluation group (n = 32). Participants were medical doctors at the University Clinical Center Maribor. The intervention involved implementing a Clinical Decision Support System delivered via a Socially Assistive Robot during hospital grand rounds. We developed a system that employed the HL7 FHIR standard for integrating data from hospital monitors, electronic health records, and patient-reported outcomes into a single dashboard. A Pepper-based SAR provided patient specific recommendations through a voice and SAR tablet enabled interface. Key evaluation metrics were assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance, Use of Technology (UTAUT2) questionnaire, including Effort Expectancy, Performance Expectancy and open ended questions. The longitudinal group used the system for 6 months and completed the assessments twice, after one week and at the end of the study. The single-session group completed the assessment once, immediately after the experiment. Qualitative data were gathered through open-ended questions. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and thematic analysis.

System usability was rated highly across both groups, with the longitudinal group reporting consistently excellent scores (M = 82.08 at final evaluation) compared to the acceptable scores of the single-session group (M = 68.96). Extended exposure improved user engagement, reflected in significant increases in Effort Expectancy and Habit over time. Participants found the system enjoyable to use, and while no significant changes were seen in Performance Expectancy, feedback emphasized its efficiency in saving time and improving access to clinical data, supporting its feasibility and acceptability.

This research supports the potential of robotic technologies to transform CDSS into more interactive, efficient, and user-friendly tools for healthcare professionals. The paper also suggests further research directions and technical improvements to maximize the impact of innovative technologies in healthcare.