SynthesisBMJ open2020
Enablers and barriers to the implementation of socially assistive humanoid robots in health and social care: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 64 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
64 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Artificial intelligence-enabled social robots for facilitating social interactions in patients with dementia: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Exploring fear in human-robot interaction: a scoping review of older adults' experiences with social robots.Frontiers in robotics and AI · 2025Pooled it
- Equitable and accessible informed healthcare consent process for people with intellectual disability: a systematic literature review.BMJ quality & safety · 2024Pooled it
- Intelligent Physical Robots in Health Care: Systematic Literature Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Social Robot Interventions for People with Dementia: A Systematic Review on Effects and Quality of Reporting.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2021Pooled it
- Social Assistive Robots in Healthcare: Ethical Boundaries of Caritative Caring Perspective.Nursing philosophy : an international journal for healthcare professionals · 2026Article
- Development of Guidelines for Implementing Digital Technology Into In-Home Aged Care: Mixed Methods Approach.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
- From companion technologies to social care infrastructure: A multi-level perspective on loneliness-related support in dementia care in an era of artificial intelligence (AI).Global health & medicine · 2026Article
- The value of social robots supporting informal care: a discrete choice experiment among informal caregivers.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026Article
- Reflecting the Self: The Mirror Effect of Narcissistic Self-Regulation in Older Adults' Evaluations of Empathic vs. Cold Socially Assistive Robots.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Organization-level factors associated with the adoption of care robots in long-term care providers: insights from a 3-year pooled cross-sectional study in Japan.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Factors affecting the willingness to use home-care robots among Chinese older adults as potential users.Innovation in aging · 2026Article
- Clinical employment and nursing students' attitudes towards a humanoid social robot in geriatric care: implications for the public health workforce.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Bridging stakeholder needs and technological capabilities to identify humanoid robot applications in rehabilitation: a case study in an ALS multidisciplinary care unit.Frontiers in robotics and AI · 2026Article
- A randomized pilot study evaluating socially assistive robot effects on patient engagement and care quality.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
- A Scoping Review on Long-Term Care Workers' Perceptions of Robot-Assisted Care for Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Cultural Feasibility of Conversational Robots for Dementia Care in India: Participatory Design Study.Journal of participatory medicine · 2025Article
- The Use of Technology to Deliver In-Home Aged Care Services: Mixed Methods Study of Australian Staff Perspectives.JMIR aging · 2025Article
- Health Care Professionals' Experiences Regarding Facilitators of and Barriers to Sustained Use of Social Robot Ivy for People With Intellectual Disabilities: Qualitative Interview Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Use of Socially Assistive Robots in Physiotherapy: Scoping Review.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2025Review
4 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesSocially assistive humanoid robots are considered a promising technology to tackle the challenges in health and social care posed by the growth of the ageing population. The purpose of our study was to explore the current evidence on barriers and enablers for the implementation of humanoid robots in health and social care.
designSystematic review of studies entailing hands-on interactions with a humanoid robot.
settingFrom April 2018 to June 2018, databases were searched using a combination of the same search terms for articles published during the last decade. Data collection was conducted by using the
participantsPost-experimental data were collected and analysed for a total of 420 participants. Participants comprised: older adults (n=307) aged ≥60 years, with no or some degree of age-related cognitive impairment, residing either in residential care facilities or at their home; care home staff (n=106); and informal caregivers (n=7). PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Identification of enablers and barriers to the implementation of socially assistive humanoid robots in health and social care, and consequent insights and impact. Future developments to inform further research.
resultsTwelve studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. None of the selected studies had an experimental design; hence overall quality was low, with high risks of biases. Several studies had no comparator, no baseline, small samples, and self-reported measures only. Within this limited evidence base, the enablers found were enjoyment, usability, personalisation and familiarisation. Barriers were related to technical problems, to the robots' limited capabilities and the negative preconceptions towards the use of robots in healthcare. Factors which produced mixed results were the robot's human-like attributes, previous experience with technology and views of formal and informal carers.
conclusionsThe available evidence related to implementation factors of socially assistive humanoid robots for older adults is limited, mainly focusing on aspects at individual level, and exploring acceptance of this technology. Investigation of elements linked to the environment, organisation, societal and cultural milieu, policy and legal framework is necessary. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018092866.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.