Acceptance of Human-Robot Collaboration in Hospitals: Trust, Risk, and Ethics in Focus

Acceptance of Human-Robot Collaboration in Hospitals: Trust, Risk, and Ethics in Focus | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Acceptance of Human-Robot Collaboration in Hospitals: Trust, Risk, and Ethics in Focus Amirhossein Asadi, Elizabeth T. Williams, Balaji Bikshandi, Grant Shaw, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9127773/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In the rapidly evolving field of healthcare technology, understanding the factors that influence the acceptance of emerging technologies is crucial. This study examines stakeholder acceptance of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) in Rapid Response Systems (RRS), a high-stakes component of hospital care designed to prevent patient deterioration. While past research highlights the value of HRC in healthcare, little is known about its integration in RRS. Conducted as an exploratory case study at a public hospital in Australia, this research uses the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, extended with trust, perceived risk, and ethical concerns. Survey data analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) show that performance expectancy, trust, perceived risk, and ethical concerns significantly influence the acceptance of HRC in RRS. Meanwhile, the traditional UTAUT constructs of effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions show limited predictive power. This study advances our understanding of the psychological and sociotechnical factors shaping the acceptance and implementation of HRC in environments defined by patient safety demands and time-sensitive care. The findings highlight the need to design HRC systems that improve operational efficiency, foster trust, and address perceived risks and ethical concerns to support effective integration across hospital environments. Human-Robot Collaboration Hospital Care Rapid Response Systems Technology Acceptance UTAUT Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9127773","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":606315366,"identity":"be66d049-b443-44dc-8d44-411a7dc2f775","order_by":0,"name":"Amirhossein Asadi","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA40lEQVRIie3RsQrCMBCA4SuFTKmulUJ9hRZBEBVfJaWDs4uTVEHI6CgWfIiCL1A40EV0DXSSrg6K4CKIqUXcQnFyyL/klo8jCYBO95cZs/JEMy2HtDohrCr5lFKvGqkvkV9gEjVrO3q9jTi4NcGMG1UQOwvmK9iiH6O1cWIOrYZgpqMiIAkASY0ErcSxOASJYKAkzTd5RoMEaf6QZCqJ+VARryAGNwNJSLGFeYIR5Ra/IMECwxhJu0sPth/vT7yzVhA3G+ZwuUf9xRHzjI578ulCFGfV9YvYd7Th+7k6nU6n+7kXX6JM9ZqY3lkAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Australian National University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Amirhossein","middleName":"","lastName":"Asadi","suffix":""},{"id":606315539,"identity":"9f08b55e-5b95-4703-aab4-481b83eeb5c8","order_by":1,"name":"Elizabeth T. 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