TY - JOUR

T1 - Back to school with telepresence robot technology

T2 - A qualitative pilot study about how telepresence robots help school-aged children and adolescents with cancer to remain socially and academically connected with their school classes during treatment

AU - Weibel, Mette

AU - Nielsen, Martin Kaj Fridh

AU - Topperzer, Martha Krogh

AU - Hammer, Nanna Maria

AU - Møller, Sarah Wagn

AU - Schmiegelow, Kjeld

AU - Bækgaard Larsen, Hanne

PY - 2020/7

Y1 - 2020/7

N2 - Aim: To explore how an AV1 telepresence robot helps school-aged children and adolescents with cancer to remain socially and academically connected with their school classes during cancer treatment. Design: Qualitative pilot study. Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with school-aged children and adolescents (N = 3, 12–14 years) diagnosed with cancer, their parents (N = 3), teachers (N = 2), classmates (12–14 years, N = 15, focus group interviews) and healthcare professionals (N = 4). Participant observation was performed in the child or adolescents' homes and in the classrooms during education participation via an AV1 telepresence robot. Results: Five themes emerged: expectations, sociality, learning, spatiality and technology. Participants experienced the robots as facilitating social interaction processes with classmates and inclusion in learning activities, reducing their sense of loneliness and lacking behind educationally. Nevertheless, multiple factors determine whether the robot is perceived as exclusive, including the technical functionality of the robot, spatiality in the classroom and mutual expectations of the parties involved.

AB - Aim: To explore how an AV1 telepresence robot helps school-aged children and adolescents with cancer to remain socially and academically connected with their school classes during cancer treatment. Design: Qualitative pilot study. Methods: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with school-aged children and adolescents (N = 3, 12–14 years) diagnosed with cancer, their parents (N = 3), teachers (N = 2), classmates (12–14 years, N = 15, focus group interviews) and healthcare professionals (N = 4). Participant observation was performed in the child or adolescents' homes and in the classrooms during education participation via an AV1 telepresence robot. Results: Five themes emerged: expectations, sociality, learning, spatiality and technology. Participants experienced the robots as facilitating social interaction processes with classmates and inclusion in learning activities, reducing their sense of loneliness and lacking behind educationally. Nevertheless, multiple factors determine whether the robot is perceived as exclusive, including the technical functionality of the robot, spatiality in the classroom and mutual expectations of the parties involved.

KW - cancer

KW - childhood illness

KW - education

KW - school nursing

KW - technology

U2 - 10.1002/nop2.471

DO - 10.1002/nop2.471

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32587717

AN - SCOPUS:85081728389

VL - 7

SP - 988

EP - 997

JO - Nursing Open

JF - Nursing Open

SN - 2054-1058

IS - 4

ER -