El-Gazar Heba Emad, Abdelhafez Shymaa, Ali Amira Mohammed, Shawer Mona, Alharbi Talal Ali F, Zoromba Mohamed Ali
Nursing Administration Department, Faculty of Nursing, Port-Said University, Port-Said, Egypt.
Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
BMC Nurs. 2024 Oct 7;23(1):718. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02336-7.
Scholars have become increasingly interested in incorporating robots into healthcare. While there is a growing body of research examining nurses' and patients' attitudes towards using robots in healthcare, no prior research has specifically explored their willingness to integrate service robots within the Egyptian healthcare context.
The aim of this study was twofold: (a) to explore the behavioral intentions of nurses to accept robots in their workplace, and (b) to examine the willingness of patients to use service robots in healthcare settings.
A mixed-methods study was conducted. Quantitative data were collected from 301 nurses using the Behavioral Intention to Accept Robots in the Workplace Scale and from 467 patients using the Service Robot Integration Willingness Scale through convenience sampling at three tertiary public hospitals in Port Said, Egypt. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 nurses, focusing on their perspectives and concerns regarding robot integration. Descriptive analyses were used to analyze quantitative data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data.
Quantitative results indicated a moderate level of behavioral intention to use robots among nurses. Patients demonstrated low willingness to use service robots. In the qualitative analysis of the data obtained from the interviews with nurses, three categories (Concerns about Robots, Roles and Competencies, and Potential Benefits) and eight themes (interaction and emotions, maintenance and reliability, job insecurity, role clarity, competence in critical care, trustworthiness, reducing physical strain, and specialized applications) were identified.
The results of this study indicate that nurses' behavioral intention to accept service robots in healthcare settings is moderate and their acceptance is influenced by various factors related to their concerns about robots, roles and competencies, and potential benefits they could gain. Patients showed a low level of willingness to use service robots in healthcare settings.
Providing targeted educational programs to nurses and patients, assuring them with the provision of robust maintenance protocols, enhancing their confidence in the capabilities of robots, and defining clear roles for robots are crucial for the successful integration of robots into healthcare settings.
学者们对将机器人纳入医疗保健领域的兴趣日益浓厚。虽然有越来越多的研究考察护士和患者对在医疗保健中使用机器人的态度，但之前没有研究专门探讨他们在埃及医疗保健背景下整合服务机器人的意愿。
本研究的目的有两个：（a）探讨护士在工作场所接受机器人的行为意向；（b）考察患者在医疗保健环境中使用服务机器人的意愿。
进行了一项混合方法研究。通过便利抽样，在埃及塞得港的三家三级公立医院，从301名护士中使用工作场所接受机器人行为意向量表收集定量数据，从467名患者中使用服务机器人整合意愿量表收集定量数据。通过对16名护士进行深入的半结构化访谈获得定性数据，重点关注他们对机器人整合的看法和担忧。描述性分析用于分析定量数据，主题分析用于分析定性数据。
定量结果表明护士使用机器人的行为意向处于中等水平。患者使用服务机器人的意愿较低。在对护士访谈获得的数据进行定性分析时，确定了三个类别（对机器人的担忧、角色和能力、潜在益处）和八个主题（互动与情感、维护与可靠性、工作不安全感、角色清晰度、重症护理能力、可信度、减轻身体负担、专门应用）。
本研究结果表明，护士在医疗保健环境中接受服务机器人的行为意向处于中等水平，他们的接受受到与对机器人的担忧、角色和能力以及可能获得的潜在益处相关的各种因素的影响。患者在医疗保健环境中使用服务机器人的意愿较低。
为护士和患者提供有针对性的教育项目，向他们保证提供完善的维护方案，增强他们对机器人能力的信心，并为机器人明确角色，对于将机器人成功整合到医疗保健环境中至关重要。
