An Integrated Theoretical Socio-Technical Framework for Implementing Service Robots’ Integration in Healthcare

Healthcare workers, either clinical or non-clinical, are obligated to serve patients. However, lack of a sufficient number of professionals leads to burnout, severe stress, and, consequently, decreased quality of services. In this context, very few countries have been successful in employing service robots to perform dull, dirty, and/or dangerous tasks related to patient wellbeing/healthcare, while most countries are still skeptical about it. As robotics advances, there is an opportunity for healthcare to take advantage of this technology to reduce personnel workload and to reduce the possibility of exposure to contagious pathogens. However, healthcare is a vulnerable environment and requires critical preparedness assessment before introducing new technology or a new process. A readiness assessment can improve the chances of successful implementation by identifying the stakeholders and the factors that should be targeted. This research proposes a theoretical Integrated framework, Healthcare Socio-Technical Assessment of Service Robots (H.STAR) that encompasses the adaption of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), Human Readiness Levels (HRLs), and healthcare organizational readiness to support the transition of Human-Robot Interaction in healthcare.