Keough School faculty member Yong Suk Lee, a Kellogg faculty fellow, had his research featured in an article looking at how the integration of robots into nursing homes benefits the experience of both healthcare workers and patients.
Lee’s research seeks to address the necessity for innovation in nursing homes caused by high employee turnover rates and the aging population. This builds upon the growing conversation considering the implementation of automation in the workplace. Lee’s research suggests that this automation relieves some of the burden put on traditional nursing staff, increasing both job satisfaction and employee retention rates.
The study looks at robots in Japanese nursing homes in 2020 and 2022 and puts them into three categories: transfer, mobility, and monitoring. Each of these categories covers an important aspect of patient care, not replacing nurses, rather enhancing human capabilities.
These developments signal future change in the relationship between humans and robots in the workplace and a possible shift in labor markets due to an increased demand for part-time less experienced workers, over experienced professionals.
Lee is an associate professor of technology, economy, and global affairs in the Keough School of Global Affairs. His research focuses on AI and robotics in relation to labor economics and entrepreneurship.