READY? – The reflection tool for the potential use of robotics in caregiving

“READY?” is a digital tool developed as part of the BeBeRobot research project, with the participation of the University of Siegen (Chair of Business Information Systems, specifically “IT for an Aging Society,” Prof. Dr. Claudia Müller and Dr. Richard Paluch). It is aimed at long-term care facilities and services and provides guidance for independent, structured reflection on the potential use of robotic systems in long-term care. It includes a digitally supported questionnaire that is worked through in facilitated workshops together with various stakeholders—such as nursing professionals, management, or family representatives. The questionnaire covers the following categories: “Care,” “Data Protection and Legal Issues,” “Ethical Aspects,” “Technology and Infrastructure,” “Institutional and Social Integration,” and “Economic Criteria.” It is available at the following link: https://github.com/BeBeRobot/Bewertungstool

In addition, the facilitation handbook offers practical guidance on preparing for, conducting, and following up on reflection processes related to the use of robots in care with “READY?”. It includes, among other things, guidelines, suggested applications, and facilitation tools to enable a structured and open discussion in the workshops. The guide is available for download here: https://www.pflege-und-robotik.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Moderationshandbuch_READY.pdf

The conceptual foundations and scientific background of the tool are described in detail in the research article “READY? – Reflective dialog tool on issues relating to the use of robotic systems for nursing care” by Lienenbrink et al. (2025): https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/icom-2024-0043/html