The Effect of Robot-Led Distraction during Needle Procedures on Pain-Related Memory Bias in Children with Chronic Diseases: A Pilot and Feasibility Study

Abstract

The current study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary clinical impact of robot-led distraction during needle procedures in children with chronic diseases on pain-related memories. Participants were 22 children (8–12 years old) diagnosed with a chronic disease (e.g., chronic immune deficiency) and undergoing a needle procedure as part of their routine treatment. Children were randomized to the experimental group (i.e., robot-led distraction) or control group (i.e., usual care). For feasibility, we evaluated study- and needle-procedure-related characteristics, intervention fidelity and acceptability, and nurse perceptions of the intervention. Primary clinical outcomes included children’s memory bias for pain intensity and pain-related fear (1 week later). Results indicated that intervention components were >90% successful. Overall, the robot-led distraction intervention was perceived highly acceptable by the children, while nurse perceptions were mixed, indicating several challenges regarding the intervention. Preliminary between-group analyses indicated a medium effect size on memory bias for pain intensity (Hedges’ g = 0.70), but only a very small effect size on memory bias for pain-related fear (Hedges’ g = 0.09), in favor of the robot-led distraction intervention. To summarize, while feasible, certain challenges remain to clinically implement robot-led distraction during needle procedures. Further development of the intervention while accounting for individual child preferences is recommended.

The Effectiveness of Socially Assistive Robots in Improving Children’s Pain and Negative Affectivity during Needle-based Invasive Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…In addition, although we did not find a significant difference in reducing experienced fear intensity compared to that associated with typical pain management, recent studies have supported the claim that socially assistive robots may have a long-lasting impact on affective outcomes caused by invasive procedural pain. Rheel et al [29] observed a medium effect size for pain intensity memory bias (Hedges' g = 0.70) and a very small effect size for pain-related fear memory bias (Hedges' g = 0.09) in favor of the robot-led distraction group. Robot-led distraction interventions could be promising methods for improving pain-related memory bias development but need to be investigated further.…”