Nao Kodate

On the Human Health, Impact and Technology webinar series on 15 Oct 2024, Naonori Kodate, Associate Professor in Social Policy and Social Robotics in the UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, spoke to host Professor Patricia Maguire about "Automation, robots and care".

An Interdisciplinary approach

Dr. Kodate’s passion for interdisciplinary research is driven by two main factors. First, health and social care are fundamental pillars of welfare states, making the link between policy and practice crucial. He says effective policy must be grounded in evidence, but it loses its significance if practitioners do not embrace and implement it. Having collaborated with care professionals and engineers for more than a decade, his commitment to interdisciplinary research has naturally deepened.

Secondly, his work addresses a pressing social challenge that demands a collaborative approach. His central research question explores how we can safely and sustainably leverage technological innovation in care. The relationship between technology and society—and indeed, prosperity—has long been recognized. However, the rapid advancements in robotics and AI amplify the importance of this issue, necessitating collaboration among researchers from diverse disciplines.

Integrating Person-Centered Robotics in Care Systems

Dr. Kodate is co-leading a project involving UCD, (opens in a new window)La Fondation France-Japon (FFJ de l’EHESS) in Paris, and (opens in a new window)Shiga University of Medical Science, funded by Toyota Motor Corporation and the Toyota Frontier Research Center. This initiative coincided with the refurbishment of a 500-bed regional hospital in central Japan, which incorporated autonomous transfer robots into its new care delivery model.  While Toyota is widely recognized for its automobiles, the company is also exploring mobility-related transfer robots to alleviate the time spent on caregiving tasks in the hospital.

In this study, social scientists are working alongside engineers and care professionals to assess the impact of these robots on care and service delivery. They aim to understand the perceptions of users and stakeholders, including patients, regarding the implementation of a specific transfer robot known as (opens in a new window)Potaro within the hospital. A distinctive aspect of this project is the collaboration between robotics developers and healthcare practitioners, who have engaged together from the design phase through to deployment.

Beyond short-term effects, the study seeks to understand the long-term implications for the workflows of nurses, medical technicians, and pharmacists, focusing on performance, efficiency, and overall well-being of the staff and patients.

Woven City: A Community for All Generations

Toyota is also developing (opens in a new window)Woven City in Susono City, aiming to enhance community well-being through technology.  The Woven City project illustrates Toyota's commitment to exploring technology in a broader community context. It is designed to benefit all generations, not limited to specific needs such as dementia care. Instead, it serves as a testbed for integrating advanced technologies into everyday community life, catering to younger families with children as well as individuals requiring care.

Ethical Concerns in Using Robots in Care Settings

Dr. Kodate highlights the ethical dimensions of his research on robots in care environments, emphasizing a recent international comparative study he co-led with colleagues from UCD and researchers in Japan and Finland. This tri-country questionnaire surveyed actual and potential users of home care robots, including care recipients, family caregivers, and care professionals, to gather insights into their ethical perceptions.

Unlike previous studies that focused on non-users, this research prioritized the perspectives of those directly affected by robotic care. A key finding across all three countries was a significant concern about robots replacing human caregivers. Respondents expressed a desire for regulations and legal guarantees ensuring the right to human care, even as automation becomes more prevalent.  Dr. Kodate’s research in nursing homes, where various assistive technologies are already in use, underscores the importance of trust among all stakeholders, including care recipients, professionals, care managers, and families. Ultimately, he argues that trust in AI and robotics hinges on fostering trust between humans.

Impact of Automation on Human Interactions in Care Settings

Dr. Kodate emphasizes the necessity of interdisciplinary international research collaborations to address the implications of automation on human interactions in care. He advocates for discussions with policymakers and citizens to understand how automation affects relationships and practices across different cultural and organizational contexts.

The long-term consequences of these changes remain unclear, but trust in human caregivers is essential for effective communication and care delivery. In nursing homes, the quality and safety of care have often been evaluated based on specific tasks rather than holistic care experiences. While physical assistive robots are being used to aid in tasks like patient transfers, Dr. Kodate expresses concerns about socially assistive robots potentially isolating elderly individuals from human contact. If the caregiving responsibilities of family members and care workers are reduced, the risk of inadequate emotional support increases, highlighting the critical need for human presence in caregiving.

Robots Supplementing, Not Replacing Care

The care sector is facing a significant shortage of professional workers, a challenge not only in Japan but worldwide. While there are both advantages and disadvantages to integrating technology into healthcare, Dr. Kodate emphasizes that these tools should be used to supplement, not replace, human care.

Concerns exist about the potential loss of essential communication and interpersonal skills among care professionals, leading some managers to hesitate in adopting new technologies. However, in demanding situations like night shifts, where the workload can be particularly challenging, technology can play a crucial role in supporting care delivery. This support may help alleviate some of the burdens that deter individuals from pursuing careers in this sector.

Great Policy = Great Practice

Dr. Kodate began his research focusing on human-robot interaction, which attracts interest from various disciplines exploring the interface between technology and humans. However, during his visits to nursing homes that utilize these technologies, he consistently observes the critical importance of human-to-human interactions. Care professionals try to use robots not only for assistance but also to foster social connections among themselves, highlighting the necessity of human contact in care settings.

As the use of technology increases, it’s vital to remain mindful of the entire care delivery process and its impact on individuals, particularly those with cognitive impairments or disabilities. Dr. Kodate believes that researchers, care professionals, managers, policymakers, and community members must address this issue from multiple societal perspectives to ensure that the human element of care is not overlooked.