Perspectives of healthcare providers to inform the design of an AI-enhanced social robot in the pediatric emergency department

Hudson, S., Nishat, F., Stinson, J., Litwin, S., Zeller, F., Wiles, B., Foster, M. E. and Ali, S. (2023) Perspectives of healthcare providers to inform the design of an AI-enhanced social robot in the pediatric emergency department. Children, 10(9), 1511. (doi: 10.3390/children10091511) (PMID:37761472) (PMCID:PMC10529269)

Abstract

Children commonly experience pain and distress in healthcare settings related to medical procedures such as blood tests and intravenous insertions (IVIs). Inadequately addressed pain and distress can result in both short- and long-term negative consequences. The use of socially assistive robotics (SARs) to reduce procedure-related distress and pain in children’s healthcare settings has shown promise; however, the current options lack autonomous adaptability. This study presents a descriptive qualitative needs assessment of healthcare providers (HCPs) in two Canadian pediatric emergency departments (ED) to inform the design an artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced social robot to be used as a distraction tool in the ED to facilitate IVIs. Semi-structured virtual individual and focus group interviews were conducted with eleven HCPs. Four main themes were identified: (1) common challenges during IVIs (i.e., child distress and resource limitations), (2) available tools for pain and distress management during IVIs (i.e., pharmacological and non-pharmacological), (3) response to SAR appearance and functionality (i.e., personalized emotional support, adaptive distraction based on child’s preferences, and positive reinforcement), and (4) anticipated benefits and challenges of SAR in the ED (i.e., ensuring developmentally appropriate interactions and space limitations). HCPs perceive AI-enhanced social robots as a promising tool for distraction during IVIs in the ED.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This research was funded by the ESRC/SSHRC Canada-UK Artificial Intelligence Initiative, grant number ES/T012986/1.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Foster, Dr Mary Ellen
• Authors: Hudson, S., Nishat, F., Stinson, J., Litwin, S., Zeller, F., Wiles, B., Foster, M. E., and Ali, S.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Computing Science
• Journal Name: Children
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2227-9067
• ISSN (Online): 2227-9067
• Published Online: 06 September 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Children 10(9):1511
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
309030		Using AI-Enhanced Social Robots to Improve Children's Experiences in Clinical Settings	Mary Ellen Foster	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/T012986/1	Computing Science