Jung Jae Ik, Jeong Yoo Seok, Kwon Dong Rak
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Daegu Catholic University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
BioHealth Convergence Center, Daegu Technopark, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Dec 13;103(50):e40877. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000040877.
Caregiver burden significantly affects both patients and caregivers but is often overlooked in clinical practice. Physical and emotional strain on caregivers can compromise the quality of care. Care robots are emerging as solutions to alleviate these burdens by assisting with routine tasks, thereby reducing caregivers' physical strain and stress. Therefore, a prospective, non-randomized, interventional clinical trial was designed to identify changes in caregivers' physical activities due to care robot use and explore the associated benefits.
Twenty-two caregivers (1 male and 21 female; mean age, 62.05 years) were participated. We analyzed the impact of care robots on reducing physical burden and assessed caregivers' satisfaction with these robots by examining care activity history, pain levels, muscle activities, and data for each physical care activity (e.g., transfer, reposition, feeding, and toileting), categorizing them based on whether a care robot was used. Care robots that assist in transfer, repositioning, feeding, and toileting activities were used in a clinical trial. Muscle activity was measured during maximum voluntary isometric contraction using electromyography sensors placed on the upper trapezius, biceps brachii, and erector spinae muscles.
During care robot use, we observed a statistically significant decrease in the distance and number of steps required for assisting with repositioning. However, the caregiving activity time increased when the robots assisted with transfer, feeding, and toileting (P < .001). Pain was significantly reduced during transfer and toileting activities using the care robot (P < .001) as well as during feeding activity (P = .040). Maximum voluntary isometric contraction showed a significant reduction in the upper trapezius, biceps brachii, and erector spinae muscles during the 4 care activities when using the robot, and these findings were consistent across the 3 sessions (P < .001). In the survey, caregivers indicated that "transfer-assisting" care robots were the most needed (15 respondents, 68.2%).
In this study, we demonstrated that employing care robots can aid in mitigating muscle overuse among caregivers, potentially alleviating pain due to musculoskeletal conditions.
照护者负担对患者和照护者均有显著影响，但在临床实践中常被忽视。照护者的身体和情感压力会损害照护质量。护理机器人作为一种解决方案正在兴起，通过协助完成日常任务来减轻这些负担，从而减轻照护者的身体压力和应激。因此，设计了一项前瞻性、非随机、干预性临床试验，以确定使用护理机器人后照护者身体活动的变化，并探索相关益处。
22名照护者（1名男性和21名女性；平均年龄62.05岁）参与了研究。我们通过检查护理活动历史、疼痛程度、肌肉活动以及每项身体护理活动（如转移、重新安置、喂食和如厕）的数据，分析了护理机器人对减轻身体负担的影响，并评估了照护者对这些机器人的满意度，根据是否使用护理机器人对数据进行分类。在一项临床试验中使用了协助转移、重新安置、喂食和如厕活动的护理机器人。使用放置在上斜方肌、肱二头肌和竖脊肌上的肌电图传感器，在最大自主等长收缩期间测量肌肉活动。
在使用护理机器人期间，我们观察到协助重新安置所需的距离和步数在统计学上显著减少。然而，当机器人协助转移、喂食和如厕时，护理活动时间增加（P < 0.001）。使用护理机器人进行转移和如厕活动期间以及喂食活动期间（P = 0.040），疼痛显著减轻（P < 0.001）。在使用机器人进行4项护理活动期间，最大自主等长收缩显示上斜方肌、肱二头肌和竖脊肌显著减少，并且这些结果在3个疗程中一致（P < 0.001）。在调查中，照护者表示“协助转移”护理机器人是最需要的（15名受访者，68.2%）。
在本研究中，我们证明使用护理机器人有助于减轻照护者的肌肉过度使用，可能减轻肌肉骨骼疾病引起的疼痛。
