Robot-assisted medication management in home care and long-term care settings: a mixed-method systematic review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Medication Management

Background:

• Polypharmacy, cognitive decline, and caregiver burden contribute to medication errors and non-adherence in older adults.
• Medication management robots (MMRs) present a potential solution for improving patient care in elderly home settings.
• Thorough evaluation of MMRs is crucial to understand their impact and optimize their use.

Purpose of the Study:

• Synthesize patient and caregiver experiences with MMRs.
• Assess the effectiveness of MMRs in enhancing medication safety and reducing errors.
• Provide insights into the broader implications of MMRs for elderly home care.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searches across six major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, ProQuest) were performed without date limitations.
• The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used for study appraisal, with findings synthesized convergently.

Main Results:

• Six studies (3 qualitative, 2 quantitative, 1 mixed-methods) from Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.A. were included.
• MMRs demonstrated improvements in medication adherence, reduced errors, enhanced healthcare coordination, and supported patient autonomy.
• Identified challenges include technical issues (e.g., liquid medication incompatibility), privacy concerns, and user reluctance due to decreased human interaction.

Conclusions:

• MMRs show significant promise for improving elderly home care and medication management.
• Successful adoption hinges on structured training, robust ethical safeguards, and user-centered design principles.
• Further research is essential to validate long-term impacts and refine implementation strategies for MMRs.