Implementation of socially assistive robots in geriatric care institutions: Healthcare professionals' perspectives and identification of facilitating factors and barriers.

Introduction: The successful integration of socially assistive robots in geriatric care settings hinges on the attitudes and opinions of healthcare professionals. This study explored their needs, expectations, and perceptions regarding robot use, including facilitating factors and barriers to implementation.

Methods: Twenty professionals participated in semi-structured interviews that covered topics such as robot applications, perceived value, acceptance criteria, prerequisites for deployment, ethical considerations, and design attributes. These interviews were analyzed using a deductive qualitative approach guided by the European Network for Health Technology Assessment model (version 3.0).

Results: Results indicated that professionals generally viewed robots favorably, noting their usefulness in various non-intimate tasks like meal assistance and toileting. Ease of use was identified as a critical factor for robot adoption in geriatric care. Furthermore, the necessity of educating all stakeholders and providing comprehensive training to professionals emerged as essential for successful implementation. The discussions also included financial and ethical issues related to the introduction of these technologies.

Conclusion: These findings will contribute to develop guidelines for designing and deploying socially assistive robots that align with the preferences and requirements of geriatric care professionals.