Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have the potential to transform how healthcare is delivered. Key areas that constantly require support in healthcare are: population aging, changing patient expectations, a change in life-style choices, innovative socially evolving modes of service provision and unpredictable healthcare emergencies. Focusing specifically on the aging population, as suggested by Vercelli et al (2018), robots could have a role in caregiving; provide reminders and instructions; monitor behaviour and health; and may even offer companionship and social contact. Robinson, MacDonald & Broadbent (2014) suggest that the psychosocial aspect with respect to appearance and interaction is an area in need of research. Research into the communication and interaction between healthcare practitioners and patients is extremely limited, but is needed as it may be relevant to the design and evaluation of healthcare assistive robots. As suggested by Lockwood and Forey (2016), applied linguistic and interdisciplinary studies of authentic interactions may be extremely revealing and beneficial for all involved.
This PhD project will examine the emerging discourse of robot and human interaction between elderly healthcare practitioners, patients, and assistive robots. The main objectives are to:
· Extend new co-constructed interdisciplinary knowledge that investigates issues of AI in healthcare and examine interactions between healthcare workers and patients towards the effective inclusion of assistive healthcare robots in care work.
· Examine the discourse functions used by elderly patients and healthcare workers in practice, when interacting around candidate support activities that have potential for integration with assistive healthcare robots.
· Produce detailed design guidance for assistive healthcare robots, based on the practice-based discourse analysis of healthcare workers with those for whom they care, anticipating verbal and other social semiotic responses that could be programmed into assistive healthcare robots.
· Contrast existing healthcare robotic systems with the design guidance and existing interaction capabilities that would be required to deliver appropriate verbal and/or social semiotics to function effectively in this capacity.
· Develop interdisciplinary collaborative networks between academics working in the field of applied linguists, healthcare, robotics and AI in order to fully understand the patient and practitioner’s interpersonal relationship, needs, reactions and well-being.
· Contribute to a holistic understanding of patient, healthcare practitioner and assistive healthcare robot interaction that will support informal learning in the healthcare community, along with the training offered to healthcare practitioners and educational knowledge in HE.
Robots have been designed to facilitate social interaction in order to relieve healthcare workers of daily routines freeing up a healthcare worker’s time for other tasks. In addition, AI and assistive robots have been designed to support elderly patients and combat social isolation and loneliness (Koceski & Koceska, 2016). However, little is known about the communication between these parties, nor about the way in which the caregiving functions of a robot are best integrated with person to person care. The findings from the present study will provide insights into this innovative emerging discourse in healthcare contexts, it could improve the communication potential of the robot, inform the training and education of healthcare workers and contribute to informal learning in healthcare contexts.
This project is associated with the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Accountable, Responsible and Transparent AI (ART-AI).
Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree in a relevant subject. A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous. Desirable qualities in candidates include intellectual curiosity, and programming experience. You will also need to have taken a mathematics course or a quantitative methods course at university or have at least grade B in A level maths or international equivalent.
Informal enquires about the project should be directed to Dr Gail Forey ([Email Address Removed]).
Formal applications should be made via the University of Bath’s online application form and be accompanied by a research proposal. Enquiries about the application process should be sent to [Email Address Removed].
Start date: 4 October 2021.
Continue with Facebook
