Socially Assistive Robots for Pain Management and Emotional Responses in Pediatric Hospital Care: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pain and emotional distress are prevalent concerns in pediatric hospital care, underscoring the need for safe and evidence-based nonpharmacological interventions. Socially assistive robots (SARs) are innovative tools that alleviate pain and emotional distress through social interaction. Although previous reviews suggest potential benefits, the evidence remains ambiguous, with insufficient exploration of the contextual factors influencing the effective implementation.

Objective

This systematic review with meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of SARs in reducing pain and emotional outcomes in pediatric hospital settings and identifies methodological, contextual, and ethical factors informing future implementation.

Methods

Following the PRISMA (Preferred

SUBMITTER: Hsu FY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12696453 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature