Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36081090›Full record

ArticleSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2022

On the Use of Assistive Technology during the COVID-19 Outbreak: Results and Lessons Learned from Pilot Studies.

Laura Fiorini, Erika Rovini, Sergio Russo, Lara Toccafondi, Grazia D'Onofrio, Federica Gabriella Cornacchia Loizzo, Manuele Bonaccorsi, Francesco Giuliani, Gianna Vignani, Daniele Sancarlo and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
4.2field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Laura FioriniDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, FI, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-5784-3752
Erika RoviniDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, FI, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7906-9013
Sergio RussoICT, Innovation and Research Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8773-8651
Lara ToccafondiUmana Persone Development & Research Social Enterprise, 58100 Grosseto, GR, Italy.
Grazia D'OnofrioClinical Psychology Service, Health Department, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy.
Federica Gabriella Cornacchia LoizzoThe BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56025 Pontedera, PI, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1523-593X
Manuele BonaccorsiCo-Robotics S.r.l., Capannoli, 56125 Pisa, PI, Italy.
Francesco GiulianiICT, Innovation and Research Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5707-2158
Gianna VignaniUmana Persone Development & Research Social Enterprise, 58100 Grosseto, GR, Italy.
Daniele SancarloGeriatrics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy.
Antonio GrecoGeriatrics Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, FG, Italy.
Filippo CavalloDepartment of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, FI, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7432-5033
Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza · ITScuola Superiore Sant'Anna · ITIT+Robotics (Italy) · ITUniversity of Florence · IT

Funding

European Commission 857188
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

As a consequence of the COVID-19 emergency, frail citizens felt isolated because of social isolation, suspended and/or strongly reduced home assistance, and limited access to hospitals. In this sense, assistive technology could play a pivotal role in empowering frail older adults reducing their isolation, as well as in reinforcing the work of formal caregivers and professionals. In this context, the goal of this paper is to present four pilot studies-conducted from March 2020 to April 2021-to promptly react to COVID-19 by providing assistive technology solutions, aiming to (1) guarantee high-quality service to older adults in-home or in residential facility contexts, (2) promote social inclusion, and (3) reduce the virus transmission. In particular, four services, namely, telepresence service, remote monitoring service, virtual visit, and environmental disinfection, were designed, implemented, and tested in real environments involving 85 end-users to assess the user experience and/or preliminary assess the technical feasibility. The results underlined that all the proposed services were generally accepted by older adults and professionals. Additionally, the results remarked that the use of telepresence robots in private homes and residential facilities increased enjoyment reducing anxiety, whereas the monitoring service supported the clinicians in monitoring the discharged COVID-19 patients. It is also worth mentioning that two new services/products were developed to disinfect the environment and to allow virtual visits within the framework of a hospital information system. The virtual visits service offered the opportunity to expand the portfolio of hospital services. The main barriers were found in education, technology interoperability, and ethical/legal/privacy compliance. It is also worth mentioning the key role played by an appropriate design and customer needs analysis since not all assistive devices were designed for older persons.

Indexed as

COVID-19Self-Help DevicesAgedAged, 80 and overCaregiversDisease OutbreaksHumansPilot Projectsassistive technologyCOVID-19 pandemic emergencydisinfection robotremote monitoringsocial inclusiontelepresence

Identifiers

PMID36081090
PMCPMC9460223
OpenAlexW4295084534

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.