title: Benefits and problems of health-care robots in aged care settings: A comparison trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether multiple health-care robots could have any benefits or cause any problems in an aged care facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-three residents and 53 staff participated in a non-randomised controlled trial over 12 weeks. Six robots provided entertainment, communication and health-monitoring functions in staff rooms and activity lounges. These settings were compared to control settings without robots.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between groups in resident or staff outcomes, except a significant increase in job satisfaction in the control group only. The intervention group perceived the robots had more agency and experience than the control group did. Perceived agency of the robots decreased over time in both groups. Overall, we received very mixed responses with positive, neutral and negative comments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The robots had no major benefits or problems. Future research could give robots stronger operational roles, use more specific outcome measures, and perform cost-benefit analyses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ngaire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kerse
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Chandimal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jayawardena
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Chandan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Haley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Pratyusha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jawalkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Maddy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amor
authors.affiliation: Uniservices, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Robins
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: MacDonald
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003142:Communication; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009520:New Zealand; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: aged care; depression; quality of life; residents; robot; staff