Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients

Background: Adolescent cancer patients experience considerable absence from their education, contributing to poorer academic attainment and isolation from peers, and impacting wellbeing. Telepresence robots have been used to support the educational and social needs of young people with chronic illne...

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Autores principales:	Thomasin Powell, Jennifer Cohen, Pandora Patterson
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Frontiers Media S.A. 2021
Materias:	telepresence robots adolescent cancer education Psychology BF1-990
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/b2c1fa63fedc476d8df476f1725d3bb0
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:b2c1fa63fedc476d8df476f1725d3bb02021-11-12T04:27:29ZKeeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients1664-107810.3389/fpsyg.2021.749957https://doaj.org/article/b2c1fa63fedc476d8df476f1725d3bb02021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.749957/fullhttps://doaj.org/toc/1664-1078Background: Adolescent cancer patients experience considerable absence from their education, contributing to poorer academic attainment and isolation from peers, and impacting wellbeing. Telepresence robots have been used to support the educational and social needs of young people with chronic illness. This article presents the results of the development and pilot-testing of a telepresence robot service in schools for adolescent cancer patients – the TRECA (Telepresence Robots to Engage CAncer patients in education) service.Methods: Phase I used semi-structured interviews (n = 25) to assess the views of patients, parents, schools and clinicians on the benefits, acceptability, barriers, and enablers of utilizing robots in schools for adolescent cancer patients. Results from Phase I informed the development of the TRECA service. Phase II used semi-structured interviews (n = 22) to assess the implementation experiences of adolescent cancer patients, and their families, schools, and keyworkers who pilot-tested the TRECA service.Results: Phase I demonstrated the need for telepresence technology in connecting adolescent cancer patients to school. Given the variable support during treatment, a telepresence robot service was considered an acceptable method of facilitating a school-patient connection. The recommendations provided in Phase I, such as the need for provision of ongoing education, training, and support to the patient and school, informed the development of the TRECA service. In Phase II, the themes of The necessity of stakeholder buy-in, A facilitator of meaningful connection, and One size does not fit all were generated. The TRECA service’s flexibility in meeting the needs of its users helped facilitate meaningful connections. Participants reported that these connections provided patients an enhanced sense of agency and wellbeing. The importance of stakeholder buy-in and taking an individualized approach to service delivery were also highlighted. Stakeholder miscommunication and lack of knowledge were key aspects of implementation needing improvement as the service is rolled out on a larger scale.Conclusion: Using telepresence robots to connect adolescents to school during cancer treatment was regarded as highly acceptable, facilitating peer and academic connection. By making stakeholder-recommended improvements to the TRECA service’s existing processes, the service will continue to grow in effectiveness and capacity.Thomasin PowellJennifer CohenJennifer CohenPandora PattersonPandora PattersonFrontiers Media S.A.articletelepresencerobotsadolescentcancereducationPsychologyBF1-990ENFrontiers in Psychology, Vol 12 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	telepresence robots adolescent cancer education Psychology BF1-990
spellingShingle	telepresence robots adolescent cancer education Psychology BF1-990 Thomasin Powell Jennifer Cohen Jennifer Cohen Pandora Patterson Pandora Patterson Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients
description	Background: Adolescent cancer patients experience considerable absence from their education, contributing to poorer academic attainment and isolation from peers, and impacting wellbeing. Telepresence robots have been used to support the educational and social needs of young people with chronic illness. This article presents the results of the development and pilot-testing of a telepresence robot service in schools for adolescent cancer patients – the TRECA (Telepresence Robots to Engage CAncer patients in education) service.Methods: Phase I used semi-structured interviews (n = 25) to assess the views of patients, parents, schools and clinicians on the benefits, acceptability, barriers, and enablers of utilizing robots in schools for adolescent cancer patients. Results from Phase I informed the development of the TRECA service. Phase II used semi-structured interviews (n = 22) to assess the implementation experiences of adolescent cancer patients, and their families, schools, and keyworkers who pilot-tested the TRECA service.Results: Phase I demonstrated the need for telepresence technology in connecting adolescent cancer patients to school. Given the variable support during treatment, a telepresence robot service was considered an acceptable method of facilitating a school-patient connection. The recommendations provided in Phase I, such as the need for provision of ongoing education, training, and support to the patient and school, informed the development of the TRECA service. In Phase II, the themes of The necessity of stakeholder buy-in, A facilitator of meaningful connection, and One size does not fit all were generated. The TRECA service’s flexibility in meeting the needs of its users helped facilitate meaningful connections. Participants reported that these connections provided patients an enhanced sense of agency and wellbeing. The importance of stakeholder buy-in and taking an individualized approach to service delivery were also highlighted. Stakeholder miscommunication and lack of knowledge were key aspects of implementation needing improvement as the service is rolled out on a larger scale.Conclusion: Using telepresence robots to connect adolescents to school during cancer treatment was regarded as highly acceptable, facilitating peer and academic connection. By making stakeholder-recommended improvements to the TRECA service’s existing processes, the service will continue to grow in effectiveness and capacity.
format	article
author	Thomasin Powell Jennifer Cohen Jennifer Cohen Pandora Patterson Pandora Patterson
author_facet	Thomasin Powell Jennifer Cohen Jennifer Cohen Pandora Patterson Pandora Patterson
author_sort	Thomasin Powell
title	Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients
title_short	Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients
title_full	Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients
title_fullStr	Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients
title_full_unstemmed	Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients
title_sort	keeping connected with school: implementing telepresence robots to improve the wellbeing of adolescent cancer patients
publisher	Frontiers Media S.A.
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/b2c1fa63fedc476d8df476f1725d3bb0
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Keeping Connected With School: Implementing Telepresence Robots to Improve the Wellbeing of Adolescent Cancer Patients

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