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NURSING SCIENCE
Attitudes toward the use of humanoid robots in healthcare—a cross‑sectional study

By Carliss Ramos, DNP, RN

4 MIN READ
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Title:
Attitudes toward the use of humanoid robots in healthcare—a cross‑sectional study
Published: October 2020 in AI & Society
AACN Level of Evidence: Level C
What was the purpose?
This study explored the attitudes of hospital visitors, hospital workers, patients, patient relatives, care professionals and conference attendees toward using humanoid robots in healthcare. A humanoid robot can be used for interaction, rehabilitation and support in everyday life.
What was the population studied?
The researchers analyzed the associations between participants’ backgrounds and the attitudes of hospital visitors, hospital workers, patients, patient relatives, care professionals, school actors, service personnel and politicians.
Was the setting similar to Houston Methodist? Were the patients comparable to our patients?
The study setting was Finland. The healthcare setting is not described except that the humanoid robot was placed in the hospital lobby and the conference center. The participants are comparable to those entering the Houston Methodist lobby and those attending a conference in the hospital conference area.
Did they use appropriate methods?
The researchers used a cross-sectional descriptive design for data collection. The survey obtained background variables and items from a modified Robot Attitude Scale (RAS). The RAS measures attitudes toward robots using 11-items with positive and negative assumptions. The RAS has been used in other healthcare settings. The appropriate methodology was used for this study.
What were their findings?
The researchers’ main finding was that most participants had a positive attitude toward using humanoid robots in healthcare. A few participants were negative toward robots in healthcare. When compared to participants with a lower educational level, participants with a higher educational level had a more positive attitude toward humanoid robots in healthcare. Older adults had a more positive attitude toward the robots than younger adults.
Do their findings make sense?
The preliminary results of the study make sense. A limitation is that the study was not conducted using the robot in real-life healthcare situations.
How did things change?
The study was not interventional, so no changes were noted. The findings add to the lack of literature on robot attitudes from healthcare workers and potentially impact future robotics in healthcare-related studies, specifically the nurse.
How is this important for nursing?
As the nursing shortage continues to grow and the future of nursing relies on capturing opportunities to relieve nurse burdens, there is a place for robots in our technologically advanced near future. Further research on capturing the attitudes related to robots in healthcare is needed from a diverse approach in real healthcare settings and experiences.
Read the full study ›
Reference:
Andtfol, M., Nyholm, L., Eide, H., Rauhala, A., & Fagerström, L. (2020). Attitudes toward the use of humanoid robots in healthcare - a cross-sectional study. AI & Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01271-4