Robotic technology for palliative and supportive care: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Background
Medical robots are increasingly used for a variety of applications in healthcare. Robots have mainly been used to support surgical procedures, and for a variety of assistive uses in dementia and elderly care. To date, there has been limited debate about the potential opportunities and risks of robotics in other areas of palliative, supportive and end-of-life care.

Aim
The objective of this paper is to examine the possible future impact of medical robotics on palliative, supportive care and end-of-life care. Specifically, we will discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of this technology.
Methods
A SWOT analysis to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of robotic technology in palliative and supportive care.

Results
The opportunities of robotics in palliative, supportive and end-of-life care includes a number of assistive, therapeutic, social and educational uses. However, there are a number of technical, societal, economic and ethical factors which need to be considered to ensure meaningful use of this technology in palliative care.

Conclusions
Robotics could have potential roles for a number of applications in palliative, supportive and end-of-life care. Future work should evaluate the health-related, economic, societal and ethical implications of using this technology. There is a need for collaborative research to establish use-cases and inform policy, to ensure the appropriate use (or non-use) of robots for people with serious illness.