Potential and limitations of socially assistive robots to support malnutrition care: a critical reflection by dietitians

Nutrition is essential for the physical and psychological well-being and health of older adults. Malnutrition negatively affects both their physical and mental health and their overall quality of life. Dietitians face challenges in supporting older adults due to time constraints, which can limit the continuity of care. While previous research highlights the potential of assistive technologies to help reduce malnutrition, such as socially assistive robots (SARs), these approaches lack a holistic perspective and insufficiently address collaborative processes within the broader care network. This study presents the findings from a Research-through-Design (RtD) study in which eight dietitians from four practices participated in context-mapping sessions involving personas, generative design probes, ranking exercises, and speculative design activities to critically reflect on the potential role of socially assistive robots in supporting collaborative malnutrition care. The results were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. These results highlight key challenges in nutritional care, including the social nature of eating, the need for personalized support, and challenges within the care network. These findings informed potential roles for SARs, including reinforcing dietary advice, supporting shared decision-making, facilitating collaboration, and encouraging shared eating moments. Crucially, the findings suggest that the value of SARs depends less on adding new functionalities than on carefully positioning their role within collaborative nutritional care. This includes preserving older adults’ autonomy, clearly allocating responsibilities between dietitians and technology, supporting meaningful engagement between consultations, and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.