Improving Interactions with Healthcare Robots: A Review of Communication Behaviours in Social and Healthcare Contexts
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Improving Interactions with Healthcare Robots: A Review of Communication Behaviours in Social and Healthcare Contexts Deborah L. Johanson1
· Ho Seok Ahn2
· Elizabeth Broadbent1
Accepted: 26 October 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract A growing shortfall exists between the number of older individuals who require healthcare support and the number of qualified healthcare professionals who can provide this. Robots offer the potential to provide healthcare support to patients both at home and in healthcare settings. However, in order for robots to be successfully implemented in these environments, they need to behave in ways that are appropriate and acceptable to human users. One way to identify appropriate social behaviours for healthcare robots is to model their behaviour on interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. This literature review aimed to inform healthcare robotics research by highlighting communication behaviours that are important within the context of healthcare. The review focussed on relevant research in human clinical interactions, followed by a review of similar factors in social robotics research. Three databases were searched for terms relating to healthcare professional communication behaviours associated with patient outcomes. The results identified key communication behaviours that can convey clinical empathy, including humour, self-disclosure, facial expressions, eye gaze, body posture, and gestures. A further search was conducted to identify research examining these key behaviours within the context of social and healthcare robotics. Research into these factors in human–robot interaction in healthcare is limited to date, and this review provides a useful guide for future research. Keywords Non-verbal behaviours · Verbal behaviours · Human–robot interactions · Physician–patient interactions · Communication
1 Introduction Ongoing advances in science and medicine have seen an increase in average life expectancies around the world. These increases in life expectancies mean that the need for elderly care is set to increase globally. According to the United Nations [1], there will be roughly 2.1 billion individuals worldwide aged 60 years or older by the year 2050, meaning that all continents of the world, apart from Africa, will have an elderly population of at least 25% [1]. Adding to this issue is a growing gap between the increasing elderly population and the health providers required to meet their needs. The
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Deborah L. Johanson [email protected]
1
Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Health Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
2
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
World Health Organisation estimates that by the year 2035, this shortfall in healthcare provision will have increased to 12.9 million individuals [2]. A potential way to support the world’s aging population, and to ease pressure on healthcare systems in general, is th
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