ArticleBMC medical ethics2026
A conceptual framework for pragmatic acceptance of healthcare robots among older adults: a computational grounded theory.
Article in BMC medical ethics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOlder adults' low adoption of healthcare robots indicates that their lived processes of acceptance remain insufficiently understood. This gap is not merely technical but also ethical, involving questions of dignity, relational integrity, and autonomy in later life. This study aimed to develop a theory-grounded framework of how older adults pragmatically evaluate healthcare robots in home-based aging contexts, with particular attention to the ethical and relational considerations shaping their acceptance decisions.
methodsWe applied Computational Grounded Theory (CGT) to 16 in-depth interviews with community-dwelling older adults in Shanghai, China. Data collection continued until thematic saturation was reached. Data analysis followed a three-stage CGT procedure: (1) LDA topic modeling for initial pattern detection; (2) constant comparative analysis for thematic refinement; (3) Word2Vec-based semantic analysis for category-level coherence assessment.
resultsSix themes emerged, converging into a model of pragmatic acceptance: acceptance is not a stable preference but a conditional stance triggered by anticipated self-care decline. Older adults consistently positioned robots as intergenerational supplements-not replacements-for family care, prioritizing preservation of filial bonds while offloading instrumental burdens. Acceptance was shaped by tensions between utility and interpersonal warmth, and further conditioned by perceived control, trust in human agents (e.g., children), and core ethical concerns regarding dignity and autonomy.
conclusionsThis framework shifts focus from technology-centric models (e.g., TAM) to a care-centered, culturally-embedded process. By integrating self-care theory, culturally embedded care ethics, and technology acceptance, it provides an explanatory lens that goes beyond a narrow usefulness-trust paradigm. It reveals that ethical acceptability-not functional performance-is the ultimate gatekeeper of robot integration in intimate care settings. For designers, it supports avoiding anthropomorphism that implies substitution of children; for policymakers, it advocates family-technology collaborative care models. In the present study, the CGT approach incorporated computational tools within a researcher-led interpretive process to assist pattern detection and provide clearer documentation of analytic steps.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.