The robot, named MEDi, is programmed to greet a child with a high-five, collect toys from a tray and ask questions like “Do you like movies?” Children who engaged with the robot while receiving a flu shot had much less pain and distress than children who got a shot the usual way, according to a study published in the June issue of Vaccine.
It’s the first robot to help children manage painful medical procedures,” said Tanya Beran, a professor of community health sciences at the University of Calgary in Alberta and the principal investigator of the study, which was conducted at Alberta Children’s Hospital.Research suggests that children who experience distress in a medical setting at a young age are less likely to access health care in adulthood, so she says it’s important to find ways to reduce pain during pediatric care.
via Geekologie
