“Robots do not replace a nurse with a beating heart”: The publicity around a robotic innovation in elderly care
Tuisku, Outi; Pekkarinen, Satu; Hennala, Lea; Melkas, Helinä (2018-10-04)
Post-print / Final draft
Tuisku, Outi
Pekkarinen, Satu
Hennala, Lea
Melkas, Helinä
04.10.2018
Information Technology and People
Emerald Publishing Limited
School of Business and Management
Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään.
© Emerald Publishing Limited 2018
© Emerald Publishing Limited 2018
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2018122051383
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2018122051383
Tiivistelmä
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the publicity around the implementation of the Zora robot in elderly-care services in Lahti, Finland. The aim is to discover opinions concerning the use of robots in elderly care as well as the arguments and justifications behind those opinions. Zora is a humanoid robot intended to promote mobility and rehabilitation. The Lahti pilot was the first Zora pilot in Finland in public elderly-care services. It received much publicity, both regionally and nationally.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on an empirical case study on the implementation of the Zora robot in elderly-care services. The data consist of interviews with personnel who operated Zora and comments from the general public about the “Zora” robot. Two data sources were used: 107 comments were collected from online and print media, and the personnel (n=39) who worked with Zora were interviewed. The data were analysed by means of interpretative content analysis.
Findings
The results show that public opinion is mainly negative, but that the commentators apparently have little information about the robot and its tasks. The personnel had more positive views; they saw it as a recreational tool, not as a replacement for their own roles.
Originality/value
There is clearly a need for more information, for a better informed discussion on how robots can be used in elderly care and how to involve the general public in this discussion in a constructive way.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the publicity around the implementation of the Zora robot in elderly-care services in Lahti, Finland. The aim is to discover opinions concerning the use of robots in elderly care as well as the arguments and justifications behind those opinions. Zora is a humanoid robot intended to promote mobility and rehabilitation. The Lahti pilot was the first Zora pilot in Finland in public elderly-care services. It received much publicity, both regionally and nationally.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on an empirical case study on the implementation of the Zora robot in elderly-care services. The data consist of interviews with personnel who operated Zora and comments from the general public about the “Zora” robot. Two data sources were used: 107 comments were collected from online and print media, and the personnel (n=39) who worked with Zora were interviewed. The data were analysed by means of interpretative content analysis.
Findings
The results show that public opinion is mainly negative, but that the commentators apparently have little information about the robot and its tasks. The personnel had more positive views; they saw it as a recreational tool, not as a replacement for their own roles.
Originality/value
There is clearly a need for more information, for a better informed discussion on how robots can be used in elderly care and how to involve the general public in this discussion in a constructive way.
Lähdeviite
Outi Tuisku, Satu Pekkarinen, Lea Hennala, Helinä Melkas, (2018) "“Robots do not replace a nurse with a beating heart”: The publicity around a robotic innovation in elderly care", Information Technology & People, https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-06-2018-0277
Alkuperäinen verkko-osoite
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/ITP-06-2018-0277Kokoelmat
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