Abstract
Background Telepresence robots used to deliver a point-of-care (POC) consultation system that
may provide value to enable effective decision making by healthcare providers at care
sites.
Objectives This study aimed to evaluate usability of teleconsultation robots, based on endusers'
needs, that can improve acceptance in future robot applications.
Methods This is a single group postdesign study using mixed methods to assess the usability
of teleconsultation robots using scenarios. To collect opinions from various departments,
15 nurses or physicians currently working at medical institutions in Korea were selected
using purposive sampling. The usability evaluation was conducted on healthcare providers
twice at the simulation center; the think-aloud method was used and surveys and interviews
were conducted to identify problems or improvements that may arise from the use of
robots in hospital settings.
Results The results showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and satisfaction
level each scored 4 points or higher out of 7 points, showing usability of midhigh
level. Camera angle control and robot driving functions were the most difficult. Other
basic robot user interface was shown to be relatively easy. There was no difference
in usability depending on the characteristics of the evaluator. Some functions including
user interface were modified based on the usability test.
Conclusion Using robots in health care institutions may support effective communication among
healthcare providers, thus contributing to health care improvement.
Keywords
point-of-care system - remote consultation - telerobotics - telemedicine
