Fieldwork and Field Trials in Hospitals: Co-Designing A Robotic Solution to Support Data Collection in Geriatric Assessment

Abstract

Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is a multidimensional and multidisciplinary diagnostic instrument that helps provide personalized care to older adults by evaluating their state of health. This evaluation is based on extensive data collection in order to develop a coordinated plan to maximize overall health with aging. In the social and economic context of growing ageing populations, medical experts can save time and effort if provided with interactive tools to efficiently assist them in doing CGAs, managing either standardized tests or data collection. Recent research proposes the use of social robots as the central part of this optimization of clinicians’ time and effort. This paper presents the first and last steps of the research made around the design and evaluation of the CLARC robot: fieldwork (analysis of needs and practices concerning clinical data management) and field trials (pilot experiment in real-life conditions in a rehab hospital). Based on an extensive literature review of social robotics applications for health and ageing, it discusses the practical and methodological questions raised around how to design and test assistive social robots for clinical routine, and questions the feasibility of an automated CGA procedure.

Keywords

• <i>comprehensive geriatric assessment</i>
• social robotics
• health data collection
• clinical data management
• analysis of practice
• real-life experimentation