使用社交机器人 NAO 为儿科急诊患儿提供情感支持：随机临床试验。

Using the Social Robot NAO for Emotional Support to Children at a Pediatric Emergency Department: Randomized Clinical Trial.

机构信息

Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University Federico II-Naples, Naples, Italy.

Department of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, School of Emergency and Urgency Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.

出版信息

J Med Internet Res. 2022 Jan 13;24(1):e29656. doi: 10.2196/29656.

DOI:10.2196/29656

PMID:34854814

原文链接:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8796042/

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Social robots (SRs) have been used for improving anxiety in children in stressful clinical situations, such as during painful procedures. However, no studies have yet been performed to assess their effect in children while waiting for emergency room consultations.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the impact of SRs on managing stress in children waiting for an emergency room procedure through the assessment of salivary cortisol levels.

METHODS

This was an open randomized clinical trial in children attending a pediatric emergency department. Children accessing the emergency room were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: (1) playing with a NAO SR, (2) playing with a study nurse, or (3) waiting with parents. The salivary cortisol levels of all children were measured through a swab. Salivary cortisol levels before and after the intervention were compared in the 3 groups. We calculated the effect size of our interventions through the Cohen d-based effect size correlation (r).

RESULTS

A total of 109 children aged 3-10 years were enrolled in the study, and 94 (86.2%) had complete data for the analyses. Salivary cortisol levels significantly decreased more in the group exposed to robot interaction than in the other two groups (r=0.75). Cortisol levels decreased more in girls (r=0.92) than in boys (r=0.57).

CONCLUSIONS

SRs are efficacious in decreasing stress in children accessing the emergency room and may be considered a tool for improving emotional perceptions of children and their families in such a critical setting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04627909; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04627909.

摘要

背景

社会机器人（SR）已被用于改善儿童在紧张的临床环境中的焦虑，例如在进行痛苦的程序时。然而，目前还没有研究评估它们在儿童等待急诊室就诊时的效果。

目的

本研究旨在通过评估唾液皮质醇水平来评估 SR 对管理急诊室等待儿童压力的影响。

方法

这是一项在儿科急诊部就诊的儿童参与的开放性随机临床试验。进入急诊室的儿童被随机分为 3 组之一：（1）与 NAO SR 一起玩，（2）与研究护士一起玩，或（3）与父母一起等待。所有儿童均通过拭子测量唾液皮质醇水平。比较 3 组干预前后的唾液皮质醇水平。我们通过基于 Cohen d 的效应大小相关系数（r）计算我们干预措施的效应大小。