Design and evaluation of a robot telemedicine system for initial medical examination with UK and Thai doctors

Abstract This study presents the evaluation of a robot telemedicine system used for initial diagnosis of patient with UK and Thai doctors. In a prior study, a set of user requirements for a robot telemedicine system were outlined based on a focus group with medical professionals and an online survey with the public. Based on these recommendations we have developed a robot telemedicine system that consists of a telepresence interface with examination functionality for doctors to control a robot that is present with patients. The system is designed for initial diagnosis of medical conditions, and Bell’s palsy diagnosis is chosen as an example use case. This paper presents the design and usability evaluation of this robot telemedicine system. The usability study was conducted using a thinking-aloud protocol, and a semi-structured interview was conducted after using the system. Study results were analysed using framework analysis. Additionally, participants were asked to give subjective ratings of the system. The study was conducted cross-culturally with doctors from the UK and Thailand, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of system usability with groups that differ in their medical practice and user needs. Study participants rated the system with 72.19 points on the System Usability Scale, which indicates acceptable usability when interpreted semantically. The system also received a presence score of 0.691, normalized between 0 (least) and 1 (highest). Based on the framework analysis the prior set of user requirements has been refined and developed into a set of design recommendations for use in the development of future robot telemedicine systems. Additionally, study results indicate differences in medical practice between UK and Thai doctors which could be relevant to adjust the robot telemedicine system to local users.