Exploratory research with a health consumer group on social robot use among older adults: qualitative study

Background: There is an increased focus on involving members of the public in health research. These types of groups, such as “health consumer groups,” bring different expertise to inform the design of a research study. There is a growing general concern about older adults’ acceptance and use of technologies. This becomes critical when it involves health care services. Objective: To understand the use of social robots among older adults, it is prudent to gauge stakeholders’ perspectives on optimal research design. In line with the philosophy of the “triple helix model,” researchers sought the expertise and guidance of a health consumer group. Methods: Researchers recruited an expert health consumer group for this study. This included 5 participants from an 8-member panel. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Each interviewee was introduced to visual stimuli of assistive technologies, older adults, and social robots. Subsequently, they were asked for their perspectives on what they viewed and to provide guidance on how to best design upcoming research on these phenomena. Results: Key themes were derived from the interview transcripts with the health consumer group members. Findings include panel members’ advice and guidance on explaining the research aims to technology-averse older adults, approaching data collection from this demographic, and, finally, their perceptions of the appearance of social robots. Conclusions: The advice and guidance of this expert health consumer, in tandem with researchers and industry partners, substantially aid in advancing research efforts toward social robot use among technology-averse older adults in Australia. This research provides vital information, including how best to approach data collection about social robots from this demographic.