Older adults' experiences with and perceptions of the use of socially assistive robots in aged care: A systematic review of quantitative evidence

BACKGROUND: Socially assistive robots (SARs) are created to meet challenges of the global increase of older adults. SARs are autonomous embodied technologies, equipped with auditory and visual faculties, enabling them to interact with users while performing assistive roles. Despite studies focusing on older adults' experiences with and perceptions of SARs, it remains unclear what these encompass. OBJECTIVE: To gain insight into common aspects of older adults' experiences with and perceptions of SAR use in aged care, the relevant quantitative research literature was reviewed and synthesized. METHODS: Six electronic databases were searched using detailed search strings. Applying pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria resulted in 23 articles to be included. Full texts were analyzed thematically, and graphs were developed to facilitate comparisons. RESULTS: Six main themes related to older adults' experiences with and perceptions of SAR use were identified: (1) general attitudes toward SARs, (2) feelings about SARs, (3) perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of SARs, (4) intention to use SARs, (5) tasks of SARs, (6) SARs' appearances. Ethical issues linked to SARs were barely described in the studies. CONCLUSION: Older adults are relatively open-minded about SARs, generally feeling comfortable with at least some aspects of them, and intend to use SARs in the future, especially for physical assistive functions. Thus, SARs may meet some of older ones' needs. Although the quantitative evidence contributes to gaining insight in older adults' experiences with and perceptions of SARs, social contextualization is necessary to understand their full meaning.