Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study
Plain English summary It is important to address unmet needs and explore practical strategies for supporting long-term care (LTC) residents and staff who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Involving patient partners and family community members in research planning, impl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Research Involvement and Engagement |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00421-w |
| _version_ | 1797859856700407808 |
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| author | Lillian Hung Charlie Lake Ali Hussein Joey Wong Jim Mann |
| author_facet | Lillian Hung Charlie Lake Ali Hussein Joey Wong Jim Mann |
| author_sort | Lillian Hung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plain English summary It is important to address unmet needs and explore practical strategies for supporting long-term care (LTC) residents and staff who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Involving patient partners and family community members in research planning, implementation, and evaluation is crucial for understanding the challenges faced by LTC residents. However, the restrictions on visitation and staff shortages during the pandemic have made this difficult. This study investigated the use of telepresence robots as innovative tools for participatory research. We interviewed ten researchers who used telepresence robots to conduct remote research in British Columbia, Canada. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted via Zoom meetings and analyzed to find common themes. Based on the analysis of the interviews and our reflection, five themes were found: (1) Research Enabler, (2) User-Friendly Technology, (3) Increased Engagement, (4) Lack of Infrastructure and Resources, and (5) Training and Technical Obstacles. Based on these findings, we propose “ROBOT”—an acronym for actionable recommendations to support the use of telepresence robots for research. These recommendations include: Realign to adapt, Organize with champions, Blend strategies, Offer timely technical assistance, and Tailor training to individual needs. This study provides insights into the use of telepresence robots as safe and innovative tools for conducting research with patient and family partners remotely, even in times of restricted access, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T21:36:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e89c7ac741db4664b609e1382a2c24a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-7529 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T21:36:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research Involvement and Engagement |
| spelling | doaj.art-e89c7ac741db4664b609e1382a2c24a92023-03-26T11:19:25ZengBMCResearch Involvement and Engagement2056-75292023-03-019111210.1186/s40900-023-00421-wUsing telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory studyLillian Hung0Charlie Lake1Ali Hussein2Joey Wong3Jim Mann4School of Nursing, University of British ColumbiaSchool of Nursing, University of British ColumbiaSchool of Nursing, University of British ColumbiaSchool of Nursing, University of British ColumbiaSchool of Nursing, University of British ColumbiaPlain English summary It is important to address unmet needs and explore practical strategies for supporting long-term care (LTC) residents and staff who have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Involving patient partners and family community members in research planning, implementation, and evaluation is crucial for understanding the challenges faced by LTC residents. However, the restrictions on visitation and staff shortages during the pandemic have made this difficult. This study investigated the use of telepresence robots as innovative tools for participatory research. We interviewed ten researchers who used telepresence robots to conduct remote research in British Columbia, Canada. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted via Zoom meetings and analyzed to find common themes. Based on the analysis of the interviews and our reflection, five themes were found: (1) Research Enabler, (2) User-Friendly Technology, (3) Increased Engagement, (4) Lack of Infrastructure and Resources, and (5) Training and Technical Obstacles. Based on these findings, we propose “ROBOT”—an acronym for actionable recommendations to support the use of telepresence robots for research. These recommendations include: Realign to adapt, Organize with champions, Blend strategies, Offer timely technical assistance, and Tailor training to individual needs. This study provides insights into the use of telepresence robots as safe and innovative tools for conducting research with patient and family partners remotely, even in times of restricted access, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00421-wTelepresence robotsPatient and public involvementCOVID-19Virtual researchLong-term care |
| spellingShingle | Lillian Hung Charlie Lake Ali Hussein Joey Wong Jim Mann Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study Research Involvement and Engagement Telepresence robots Patient and public involvement COVID-19 Virtual research Long-term care |
| title | Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study |
| title_full | Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study |
| title_fullStr | Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study |
| title_short | Using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative participatory study |
| title_sort | using telepresence robots as a tool to engage patient and family partners in dementia research during covid 19 pandemic a qualitative participatory study |
| topic | Telepresence robots Patient and public involvement COVID-19 Virtual research Long-term care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-023-00421-w |
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