Evaluating Human-Robot Collaboration in Hospital Practice: Introducing HERO.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Healthcare Systems Engineering

Background:

• Robots are increasingly used in hospitals, necessitating comprehensive evaluation methods.
• Current evaluation models for human-robot collaboration (HRC) often focus narrowly on technical performance or user acceptance.
• A gap exists in holistic frameworks that consider the complex interplay of factors in real-world healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the HERO framework, a novel socio-technical evaluation model for HRC in hospitals.
• To provide a practice-oriented approach that integrates social, spatial, robotic, and organizational dimensions.
• To move beyond technical and user-centric evaluations towards a systemic understanding of HRC.

Main Methods:

• Development through extensive fieldwork and interviews within hospital environments.
• Informed by a comprehensive scoping review of existing HRC evaluation methods.
• Operationalization of the framework using guiding questions for empirical inquiry and practical application.

Main Results:

• The HERO framework comprises four interrelated dimensions: Humans, Environment, Robots, and Organisation.
• It emphasizes the interdependencies between social practices, spatial dynamics, robotic behavior, and institutional structures.
• The framework offers a structured approach to analyzing HRC in complex healthcare settings.

Conclusions:

• The HERO framework provides a novel, socio-technical model for evaluating HRC in hospitals.
• It addresses the limitations of existing models by integrating diverse factors for a holistic assessment.
• HERO facilitates a practice-oriented approach to understanding and improving HRC in real-world healthcare environments.