Service Robots as Work Support for Health Personnel in Long-Term Care: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Robotics
• Healthcare Technology

Background:

• Growing demand for long-term care services due to demographic shifts.
• Global shortage of healthcare personnel exacerbates care challenges.
• Service robots offer potential solutions for workload reduction and care quality enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map and synthesize evidence on implementing service robots in long-term care settings.
• To understand the role of service robots in supporting healthcare personnel.
• To identify implementation models and frameworks for service robots.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive search across multiple databases (Embase, MEDLINE, etc.) and gray literature.
• Inclusion of empirical studies and gray literature on service robots in institutional long-term care.
• Data extraction and analysis using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.

Main Results:

• Protocol registered (November 2025) for a 4-year project (starting April 2025).
• Initial search yielded 4884 titles/abstracts; 64 full-text articles retrieved for assessment.
• Data extraction, analysis, and synthesis are ongoing, with finalization expected by June 2026.

Conclusions:

• The review will delineate the scope and characteristics of evidence on service robots in long-term care.
• It will highlight key outcomes and challenges in implementing service robots.
• The study aims to inform future research and implementation strategies for robotic support in healthcare settings.