Use of robots to encourage social engagement between older adults.

There was no comparison group, and no inferential statistics were conducted because only seven pairs were analysed. Participants were volunteers and apathy was not assessed, so the study does not show an effect on apathy. The same pairs stayed together for three weeks, so familiarity may have influenced engagement. One person dropped out and two videos were unusable, so the analysable video set was small. A single rater coded all videos, although a gerontological nurse expert reviewed portions and coding. The robot was delivered together with paired activities, virtual reality, researcher monitoring, and repeated sessions, so the contribution of the robot alone cannot be separated. The activities may not have triggered interest for some participants.

The supplied text does not report author conflicts or funding; the publication types note NIH extramural research support.

Do not conclude that robots treat apathy or improve long-term care outcomes. The study did not assess apathy, had no comparison group, and used seven pairs with no inferential statistics.