Conditions and Pathways for Integrating Smart Care Robots Into Long-Term Care Facilities: Qualitative Study From Nursing Assistants’ Perspectives
Journal of Medical Internet Research ·
Background: Smart care robots are increasingly viewed as a potential way to address care burden and support care quality in long-term care facilities. However, their integration into routine care practice remains limited, and the conditions required for their effective implementation are not yet well understood from the perspective of frontline nursing assistants. Objective: This study aimed to clarify nursing assistants’ core functional expectations of smart care robots in long-term care facilities and to explore the key conditions for their integration into practice. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Using purposive sampling, 31 frontline nursing assistants were recruited from 5 long-term care facilities in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, with recruitment assistance from facility administrators and eligibility screening by the research team. Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted between September and November 2025. Data were analyzed using framework analysis. Results: Framework analysis produced 4 analytical domains: real-world care needs, limited facilitating conditions, major anticipated barriers, and preparatory pathways for implementation. Participants expected robots to support safety monitoring and risk warning, standardized checking and management, repetitive physical tasks, and basic interaction. Although some openness to technology and organizational support existed, these facilitating conditions were insufficient for routine implementation. Key barriers included unclear human-robot collaboration models, inadequate organizational capacity, potential new care risks, and weak external support. Participants emphasized organizational assessment, contextual adaptation, pilot testing, and structured training as essential preparatory steps. Emotional support functions were also valued for alleviating caregivers’ emotional burden in high-intensity care work. Conclusions: Openness to technology, supportive organizational climates, and positive policy and social signals provided an initial foundation for considering robot integration. However, uncertainties remained around human-robot collaboration, risk management, organizational capacity, and concrete external support. Organizational assessment, contextual adaptation, real-world pilot testing, and practical training warrant further evaluation before wider implementation.