A1 Journal article (refereed)
Towards Ethical Guidelines of Using Telepresence Robots in Residential Care (2021)

Niemelä, M., Van Aerschot, L., Tammela, A., Aaltonen, I., & Lammi, H. (2021). Towards Ethical Guidelines of Using Telepresence Robots in Residential Care. International Journal of Social Robotics, 13(3), 431-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-019-00529-8

JYU authors or editors

Van Aerschot, Lina

Publication details

All authors or editors: Niemelä, Marketta; Van Aerschot, Lina; Tammela, Antti; Aaltonen, Iina; Lammi, Hanna

Journal or series: International Journal of Social Robotics

ISSN: 1875-4791

eISSN: 1875-4805

Publication year: 2021

Volume: 13

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 431-439

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-019-00529-8

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/67602

Abstract

Robotic telepresence is a potential technology to help alleviating the loneliness of elderly people. The impacts of long-term use of telepresence robots in residential care are not well known. We were interested in how using a telepresence robot influences the resident, family members and care workers at a facility, and what challenges and solutions there are for wider adoption of such robots in residential care. With a telepresence robot Double, we arranged a series of three trials in two separate residential care facilities: one 12-week trial in a private facility and two successive 6-week trials in a public facility. In each trial, we installed the telepresence robot in a room of a long-term care home resident for communicating with her/his family members. Based on the results, telepresence robots do increase presence and possibly engagement of family members in residential care, but privacy is a central concern. The mobility of a telepresence robot is hard to utilize in residential care, and to be able to do so, ethical consideration and guidelines are needed. We provide a draft of such ethical guidelines.

Keywords: elderly; older people; nursing homes; social relations; robots; information technology; monitoring of telecommunications; privacy; ethicality