Enabling Homecare With Robotic Technologies [From the Guest Editors]

The home health-care industry is under growing pressure to deliver services more effectively to meet the increasing demand from care recipients, particularly the elderly population. It is estimated that U.S. home health-care expenditures will rise from US[Formula Omitted]108.8 billion in 2019 to US$186.8 billion in 2027 [1] . A simultaneous ongoing shortage of physicians, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, and social workers has created a major service delivery gap in the home health-care industry, especially in rural areas where timely access to quality health-care services is very limited [2] . The recent COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this problem as it isolated many care recipients from their caregivers or friends.