The Interplay of Socially Assistive Robots, Multiprofessional Structures and Social Dynamics in Care Facilities – Reflections and Lessons Learned from a Long-Term Ethnographic Study

Abstract

The nature of complex multi-professional teams in healthcare is changing significantly and the use of digital solutions is an increasingly ubiquitous and important aspect of the work. Robots are a feature of this by supporting both people in need of care and care-teams. In this article, we provide results from a 14-month empirical study that investigated social practices, attitudes and values in four care facilities before and after deploying Socially Assistive Robots (SAR). The results reveal conflicts across disciplines within nursing and social assistive care, indicating that successful appropriation of SAR depends not only on the benefits for residents, but more particularly the social status of the professionals primarily using it. The paper thus offers valuable lessons not just for the design but also the deployment of SAR across a variety of domains.