Social Telepresence Robots: A Narrative Review of Experiments Involving Older Adults before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Baptiste Isabet,Manon Lewis,Anne-Sophie Rigaud,Samuel Benveniste,Maribel Pino

doi:10.3390/ijerph18073597

Abstract

Social isolation is a common phenomenon among the elderly. Retirement, widowhood, and increased prevalence of chronic diseases in this age group lead to a decline in social relationships, which in turn has adverse consequences on health and well-being. The coronavirus COVID-19 crisis worsened this situation, raising interest for mobile telepresence robots (MTR) that would help create, maintain, and strengthen social relationships. MTR are tools equipped with a camera, monitor, microphone, and speaker, with a body on wheels that allows for remote-controlled and sometimes autonomous movement aiming to provide easy access to assistance and networking services. We conducted a narrative review of literature describing experimental studies of MTR involving elderly people over the last 20 years, including during the COVID-19 period. The aim of this review was to examine whether MTR use was beneficial for reducing loneliness and social isolation among older adults at home and in health and care institutions and to examine the current benefits and barriers to their use and implementation. We screened 1754 references and included 24 research papers focusing on the usability, acceptability, and effectiveness of MTR. News reports on MTR use during the COVID-19 period were also examined. A qualitative, multidimensional analysis methodology inspired by a health technology assessment model was used to identify facilitating and limiting factors and investigate if and how MTR could reduce social isolation in elderly people. Reviewed studies provide encouraging evidence that MTR have potential in this regard, as experiments report positive feedback on MTR design and core functionalities. However, our analysis also points to specific technical, ergonomic, and ethical challenges that remain to be solved, highlighting the need for further multidimensional research on the design and impact of MTR interventions for older adults and building on new insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

IntroductionLoneliness and social isolation among older adults (OAs) living alone in their own homes or in institutions is increasing
The aim of this review was to examine whether mobile telepresence robots (MTR) use was beneficial for reducing loneliness and social isolation among older adults (OAs) at home and in health and care institutions and to examine the current benefits and barriers to their use and implementation using a qualitative, multidimensional analysis methodology inspired by a health technology assessment (HTA) model
We used the multidimensional analysis framework recommended by health technology assessment models, which can clarify the ways for a good integration of these technologies in the process of provision of care [31]

Summary

Introduction

Loneliness and social isolation among older adults (OAs) living alone in their own homes or in institutions is increasing. Social isolation is defined as the objective quantitative reduction in a person’s social network and number of contacts. It is usually distinguished from the feeling of loneliness, which lies more in a sense of dissatisfaction than in the absence of social relations [1]

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Discussion

Conclusion