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Bringing a socially assistive robot to the paediatric emergency department: design, development, and usability
Mary Ellen Foster1, Jennifer N Stinson2, Lauren Harris2
1School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Insights
This study developed an AI-enhanced Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) to help children manage pain and distress during medical procedures. The robot successfully integrated into clinical settings, showing readiness for further trials.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Children in pediatric Emergency Departments (EDs) experience significant pain and distress during medical procedures.
- Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) show potential for providing distraction and emotional support in clinical environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, develop, and evaluate an AI-enhanced SAR for supporting children during intravenous insertion (IVI) procedures.
Main Methods:
- Participatory design involving healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers.
- AI planning and social signal processing for adaptive robot behavior based on child's affective state.
- Two-cycle usability study in two Canadian pediatric EDs with 25 children and caregivers.
Main Results:
- Successful integration of the SAR into clinical workflows with positive feedback from all stakeholders.
- Identification and resolution of technical and interaction challenges through iterative refinement.
- Demonstrated robust performance, indicating readiness for a randomized controlled trial.
Conclusions:
- Co-design, operator control, and environmental adaptability are crucial for successful SAR deployment in healthcare.
- Development and deployment lessons informed six design guidelines for future healthcare SAR implementations.
Introduction:
Children undergoing medical procedures in paediatric Emergency Departments (EDs) often experience significant pain and distress. Socially Assistive Robots (SARs) offer a promising avenue for delivering distraction and emotional support in these high-pressure environments. This study presents the design, development, and formative evaluation of an AI-enhanced SAR to support children during intravenous insertion (IVI) procedures.
Methods:
The robot system was developed through a participatory design process involving healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, and interdisciplinary research teams. The SAR was designed to autonomously adapt its behaviour to the child's affective state using AI planning and social signal processing. A two-cycle usability study was conducted across two Canadian paediatric EDs, involving 25 children and their caregivers. Feedback was collected through observations, interviews, and system logs.
Results:
The SAR was successfully integrated into clinical workflows, with positive responses from children, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Usability testing identified key technical and interaction challenges, which were addressed through iterative refinement. The final system demonstrated robust performance and was deemed ready for a formal randomised controlled trial.
Discussion:
This work highlights the importance of co-design, operator control, and environmental adaptability in deploying SARs in clinical settings. Lessons learned from the development and deployment process informed six concrete design guidelines for future SAR implementations in healthcare.
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