Background: Digital health care is an important strategy in the war against COVID-19. South Korea introduced living and treatment support centers (LTSCs) to control regional outbreaks and care for patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19. Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) introduced information and communications technology (ICT)-based solutions to manage clinically healthy patients with COVID-19. Objective: This study aims to investigate satisfaction and usability by patients and health professionals in the optimal use of a mobile app and wearable device that SNUH introduced to the LTSC for clinically healthy patients with COVID-19.Methods: Online surveys and focus group interviews were conducted to collect quantitative and qualitative data.Results: Regarding usability testing of the wearable device, perceived usefulness had the highest mean score of 4.45 (SD 0.57) points out of 5. Regarding usability of the mobile app, perceived usefulness had the highest mean score of 4.62 (SD 0.48) points out of 5. Regarding satisfaction items for the mobile app among medical professionals, the "self-reporting" item had the highest mean score of 4.42 (SD 0.58) points out of 5. In focus group interviews of health care professionals, hospital information system interfacing was the most important functional requirement for ICT-based COVID-19 telemedicine.Conclusions: Improvement of patient safety and reduction of the burden on medical staff were the expected positive outcomes. Stability and reliability of the device, patient education, accountability, and reimbursement issues should be considered as part of the development of remote patient monitoring. In responding to a novel contagious disease, telemedicine and a wearable device were shown to be useful during a global crisis.

Background There are limitations to conducting face-to-face classes following the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Web-based education is no longer a temporary form of teaching and learning during unusual events, such as pandemics, but has proven to be necessary to uphold in parallel with offline education in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to scientifically organize the priorities of a learner needs analysis by systematically and rationally investigating and analyzing the needs of learners for the development of virtual reality (VR) programs for core nursing skills (CNS). Objective This study aimed to identify the priorities of learners’ needs for the development of VR programs for CNS using the Locus for Focus Model and Borich need assessment model. Methods The participants included nursing students in South Korea who were in their second year or higher and had taken courses in fundamental nursing or CNS-related classes. The survey took place from May 20 to June 25, 2021. A total of 337 completed questionnaires were collected. Of these, 222 were used to conduct the final analysis. The self-report questionnaire consisted of 3 parts: perception of VR programs, demand for developing VR programs, and general characteristics. The general characteristics of the participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics. To determine the priority of the demand for developing VR programs for CNS, the Locus for Focus Model and the Borich priority formula were used. Results In all, 7 skills were identified as being of the top priority for development, including intramuscular injection, intradermal injection, tube feeding, enema, postoperative care, supplying oxygen via nasal cannula, and endotracheal suction. Conclusions The analysis showed that nursing students generally needed and prioritized the development of VR programs for the nursing skills involving invasive procedures. The results of this study are intended to help in various practical education classes using VR programs in nursing departments, which are currently facing difficulties in teaching CNS on the web owing to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND Social robot interventions are being implemented to reduce cognitive decline, depression, and loneliness among older adults. However, the types, functions, and programs of effective social robots have not yet been confirmed. OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether social robot intervention is effective in improving cognitive function, depression, loneliness, and quality of life in older adults living alone. METHODS This study used a non-equivalent control group pre-test–post-test design. It was conducted twice a week, with each session lasting 50 minutes; twelve sessions were conducted over 6 weeks. This study was conducted at three senior welfare centers in Korea. A group of approximately ten people used the PIO social robot. The total participants included 64 people in the experimental (n=31) and control groups (n=33) and consisted of older people living alone over 65 years of age. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in the pre-post values for cognitive function (z=5.21, P<.001), depression (z=-2.99, P=.003), and loneliness (t=-4.27, P<.001) in the experimental and control groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the quality of life (z=1.84, P=.066). CONCLUSIONS It was confirmed that a cognitive intervention program using the social robot PIO can improve cognitive function and reduce depression and loneliness in older adults living alone.

BACKGROUND Social robot interventions are being implemented to reduce cognitive decline, depression, and loneliness among older adults. However, the types, functions, and programs of effective social robots have not yet been confirmed. Objective: This study investigated whether social robot intervention is effective in improving cognitive function, depression, loneliness, and quality of life in older adults living alone. OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether social robot intervention is effective in improving cognitive function, depression, loneliness, and quality of life in older adults living alone. METHODS This study used a non-equivalent control group pre-test–post-test design. It was conducted twice a week, with each session lasting 50 minutes; twelve sessions were conducted over 6 weeks. This study was conducted at three senior welfare centers in Korea. A group of approximately ten people used the PIO social robot. The total participants included 64 people in the experimental (n=31) and control groups (n=33) and consisted of older people living alone over 65 years of age. RESULTS There was a statistically significant difference in the pre-post values for cognitive function (z=5.21, P<.001), depression (z=-2.99, P=.003), and loneliness (t=-4.27, P<.001) in the experimental and control groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the quality of life (z=1.84, P=.066). CONCLUSIONS It was confirmed that a cognitive intervention program using the social robot PIO can improve cognitive function and reduce depression and loneliness in older adults living alone.

ObjectiveSocial robot interventions are being implemented to reduce cognitive decline, depression, and loneliness among older adults. However, the types, functions, and programs of effective social robots have not yet been confirmed. This study investigated whether a social robot intervention is effective in improving cognitive function, depression, loneliness, and quality of life in older adults living alone.MethodsThis study used a non-equivalent control group pre-test–post-test design. It was conducted twice a week, with each session lasting 50 mi; twelve sessions were conducted over 6 weeks. This study was conducted at three senior welfare centers in Korea. In each group, 10 or fewer participants used the PIO social robot. The total participants included 64 people in the experimental (n = 31) and control groups (n = 33), and consisted of older people over 65 years of age living alone.ResultsThere was a statistically significant difference in the pre-post values for cognitive function (z = 5.21, p &lt; 0.001), depression (z = −2.99, p = 0.003), and loneliness (t = −4.27, p &lt; 0.001) in the experimental and control groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference for quality of life (z = 1.84, p = 0.066).ConclusionsIt was confirmed that a cognitive intervention program using the social robot PIO can improve cognitive function and reduce depression and loneliness in older adults living alone.