Key stakeholders’ articulations of quality in home care which include medication-dispensing robots – Balancing quality matters in policy and practice

Care robots are described as a solution to quality issues in home care services. Since several stakeholders are involved in home care with robots, it is important to make different perspectives on quality visible. On the basis of the above premises, the aim of this study is twofold. First, we identify and compare perspectives on quality that are articulated when local policy, care professionals, and older people describe medication-dispensing robots in home care services. Second, we show how dominant articulations of quality function to institutionalize organizational rationalization. Based on these inquiries, we discuss issues that arise from differences in stakeholders’ articulations and the need to balance perspectives on quality in policy and practice. Theories about articulation and thematic analysis have been used to analyse municipal policy documents and qualitative interview material. While quality is perceived differently by different stakeholders, articulations in policy and by professionals are similar; organizational matters are highlighted. Among older people, consequences in everyday life are emphasized. Possibilities for connecting different positive values to care robots seem to be an enabling condition for implementing robots in home care services. It is important, however, that organizational takes on quality are not given a hegemonic position. Organizational matters are fundamental in care, but do not align with the wishes and needs of older people. To pursue high-quality care with robots, policy should balance key stakeholders’ perspectives of quality. This can be achieved by forming alliances between policy makers and older people. Professionals, however, are key, given their unique insights into both users’ needs and organizational preconditions.