Integrating Robot Support Functions into Varied Activities at Returning Hospital Visits

Rosemarijn Looije,Johanna K. Peters,Mark A. Neerincx,Olivier A. Blanson Henkemans

doi:10.1007/s12369-016-0365-8

Rosemarijn Looije, Johanna K. Peters + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-016-0365-8

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Abstract

Persistent progress in the self-management of their disease is important and challenging for children with diabetes. The European ALIZ-e project developed and tested a set of core functions for a social robot that may help to establish such progress. These functions were studied in different set-ups and with different groups of children (e.g. classmates at a school, or participants of a diabetes camp). This paper takes the lessons learned from these studies to design a general scenario for educational and enjoying child–robot activities during returning hospital visits. The resulting scenario entailed three sessions, each lasting almost one hour, with three educational child–robot activities (quiz, sorting game and video watching), two intervening child–robot interactions (small talk and walking), and specific tests to assess the children and their experiences. Seventeen children (age 6–10) participated in the evaluation of this scenario, which provided new insights of the combined social robot support in the real environment. Overall, the children, but also their parents and formal caregivers, showed positive experiences. Children enjoyed the variety of activities, built a relationship with the robot and had a small knowledge gain. Parents and hospital staff pointed out that the robot had positive effects on child’s mood and openness, which may be helpful for self-management. Based on the evaluation results, we derived five user profiles for further personalization of the robot, and general requirements for mediating the support of parents and caregivers.

Highlights

1.1 Diabetes Type 1The growing burden of chronic illness on health and health care has globally led to health policy responses increasingly referring to self-management
This applies to the increasing number of children and adolescents in Europe with a chronic illness
Complications can be prevented by performing self-management

Summary

Introduction

The growing burden of chronic illness on health and health care has globally led to health policy responses increasingly referring to self-management. This applies to the increasing number of children and adolescents in Europe with a chronic illness. T1DM is associated with serious physical and psychological complications [8,27], which may appear sooner or later, cause high morbidity and mortality, affect the quality of life, and increase health-care costs [14]. Self-management is not an easy goal to attain for young patients. It requires motivation and long-term perseverance, in order to become a way of life. Children’s illness regularly causes feelings of embarrassment (approximately 25 % of the youth involved in a study of Peyrot [27]), and negative effects on school performance

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