Understanding knowledge and skills requirements for healthcare professionals to enable safe and effective use of
Linda Sumpter1, Praveen Kumar2, Praminda Caleb-Solly3
1School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
Purpose:
Healthcare professionals (HCPs) will require new levels of technical proficiency and digital literacy to ensure the safe and effective use of physically assistive robots (PARs). The aim of this study was to understand how HCPs perceive specific PARs and the knowledge and skills they need to enable safe and effective use. These insights could also inform the development of future training.
Methods:
An online survey of 29 open and closed questions was developed by an interdisciplinary team. The survey was distributed to HCPs via professional bodies' interest groups. Descriptive analyses, including frequencies and percentages, were used to summarise the data. Analysis of the open response questions was informed by principles of thematic analysis.
Results:
The survey attracted 79 responses from HCPs who consented to participate, out of these 67 respondents completed the survey. A key group of respondents were physiotherapists (75%, n = 50/67). Five themes were identified: understanding the suitability, operation, safety and maintenance of specific robots, and how to reassure patients when using them. A common concern across all themes was not having sufficient skills in robotics to respond to individual patients' needs.
Conclusions:
The survey findings extend existing research, providing insights into the perceived challenges when working with PARs. Fully engaging with all users, understanding their knowledge and skills requirements will ensure safe operation. In future, it is important to co-design training with HCPs and other stakeholders to ensure input into how best to use and deploy particular robots safely and effectively based on individual clinical need.
