Service robots in healthcare: relieve for healthcare personnel

The SAKO project tackles several key issues facing healthcare and elder care:   

• Aging Population: The increasing number of elderly individuals places a growing strain on services.   

• Workforce Shortages: A lack of healthcare professionals highlights the need for efficiency. 

• Efficiency Demands: Time-consuming tasks like transporting laundry and waste detract from patient care.   

By automating these routine and physically demanding tasks, the project enables healthcare workers to focus more on patient-centric care, improving both efficiency and quality.   

Under the leadership of Professor Mariann Fossum from the Centre for e-Health at the University of Agder, the SAKO project will map the needs of nursing homes in collaboration with staff and management. 

Key stages include:   

1. Lab Testing: Three types of robots will be tested at the I4Health lab, Campus Grimstad.  
2. Pilot Implementation: Robots will be deployed in nursing homes in Grimstad, Risør, and Arendal.  
3. Evaluation: Using a quasi-experimental approach, the project will assess the impact on efficiency, staff workloads, and service quality.  

"Robots will take over physically demanding tasks from staff. These aren’t robots that talk or interact but rather perform tasks that help reduce the workload on healthcare personnel," explains Mariann Fossum. 

The robots are designed to handle tasks such as transporting laundry, freeing staff to focus on direct patient care.   

With increasing pressures on healthcare systems, the SAKO project offers sustainable solutions to improve working conditions for healthcare personnel, reduce absenteeism, and enhance patient care.   

"This project has the potential to serve as a model for other municipalities in Norway and internationally. The goal is not only to improve services but also to contribute to a more sustainable and efficient healthcare system," concludes Fossum.   

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: University of Agder