ABSTRACT
Background The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant challenges to face-to-face communication with residents in long-term care (LTC) settings. Telemedicine is an alternative, but facility staff may be over-burdened with the management of the equipment. We introduce the use of a mobile HIPPA compliant telepresence robot to help bridge this barrier. Clinicians can control the robot from any location and any device over Wi-Fi so facility staff do not need to transport the device to/ from resident rooms. Methods We deployed OhmniLabs Robot (purchased via Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program COVID) in a stepwise fashion using rapid plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles. We piloted the robot in a single level 63-bed facility in August 2020. After a successful initial pilot, the Geriatrics Division purchased two additional robots for use in other University affiliated nursing homes (both single level facilities ranging from 64-183 beds). A managing user sent other providers an access web-link for the robot. In January 2021, we sent a user survey based on the System Usability Scale (SUS) along with open-ended response options to obtain feedback on the user experience. Results 14 people used the robot (2 medical directors;3 physicians;1 nurse practitioner;2 geriatric fellows;1 palliative care fellow;1 facility staff member (MDS nurse);2 hospice social workers and 1 hospice chaplain (via a single login);and 1 family member. 9 people had not accessed their robot web-link invitations. Of the 14 users, 8 responded to the survey. Most respondents found the robot easy to use (n=6) and were satisfied with the experience (n=6). The primary dislikes mentioned by respondents were issues with Wi-Fi connectivity and sound volume. One respondent reported the robot's presence was distressing to residents and too impersonal. Conclusion Robotic technology can improve LTC residents' access to care providers, especially during a pandemic. The issues with connectivity and volume can be addressed with add-on technology such as hot-spots and blue-tooth speakers. Robotic telemedicine cannot replace human interaction but is valuable when health care providers cannot be physically present. There is existing but limited literature regarding psychosocial/ ethical implications of robotic telepresence in the LTC setting and this topic warrants future consideration.