Education by a social robot on nutrition and catheter care in pediatric oncology patients.

Abstract

To improve knowledge on nutrition and catheter care in children with cancer by an educational intervention with a social robot. We conducted a cohort study on pediatric cancer patients in a high complexity Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. We included 14 patients (8-17years old) who underwent an educational intervention with the help of a humanoid robot (Nao V6). The robot was programmed to transmit educational messages about self-care in feeding and using the central venous catheter. A survey with yes-no questions was administered before and after the intervention. We found an improvement in understanding of the subject matter related to nutrition and catheter care, when comparing the knowledge on topics before and after the educational intervention (p < .001). Education by a social robot on nutrition and catheter care showed a positive effect on children's knowledge on these topics. Therefore, it potentially decreases the risk of poor feeding habits and inadequate central venous catheter management, and improves adherence to recommendations and quality of life.