into information, (2) translating information into service innovation, and (3) translating service innovation into increased QOL.
In the past, caregiving involved human care and required CHWs to be able to
understand the emotions of CHRs/DUs. With product innovation, robots were
invented by combining IT (which involves transmission and processing of information) and AI (which involves discerning, predicting, and executing actions based on
obtained information). These technologies can be used to support CHWs. For
example, through learning, AI discerns and predicts emotions in CHRs/DUs (emotions that constantly fluctuate, are subconscious to the person themselves, and are
difficult to express in words) that CHWs may not fully recognize. It then conveys the
needs of the CHRs/DUs to CHWs and suggests a care plan. This allows CHWs to
shift from uniform, by-the-book care to care centered on the emotional needs of
CHRs/DUs based on suggestions from the AI. It is also possible to utilize service
robots equipped with AI in accordance with one’s goal. This would reduce the
emotional burden (such as anxiety and fear) of CHWs when providing care and
allow CHRs/DUs to receive care based on their own emotional needs. Thus,
differing from conventional methods, new service providing initiatives utilizing
the knowledge obtained from the cooperation of AI and humans can be perceived
as care service innovation, which aims to provide better psychological outcomes to
CHRs/DUs and CHWs and to ensure a higher QOL.
Finally, to resolve caregiving challenges in Japan as a country with rapid aging,
the status of caregiving services, which are advantageous for CHRs/DUs and CHWs,
should be explored. Given that CHWs are required to provide services within the
economic limits of the management, some CHWs report that they are unable to spare
time to provide tailored psychological support to CHRs/DUs in keeping with their
IT
Care Service
Users
Emotion
of
better QOL
Research and product innovation
Care service Innovation
Caregivers
Realization of
better QOL
AI
Transmitting
Supporting
Giving
counsel
Learning
Transmitting
Information
Wisdom
Perceiving
Fig. 6 Translational informatics bridging emotion and QOL
54
Y. Ikeda et al.
In the past, caregiving involved human care and required CHWs to be able to
understand the emotions of CHRs/DUs. With product innovation, robots were
invented by combining IT (which involves transmission and processing of information) and AI (which involves discerning, predicting, and executing actions based on
obtained information). These technologies can be used to support CHWs. For
example, through learning, AI discerns and predicts emotions in CHRs/DUs (emotions that constantly fluctuate, are subconscious to the person themselves, and are
difficult to express in words) that CHWs may not fully recognize. It then conveys the
needs of the CHRs/DUs to CHWs and suggests a care plan. This allows CHWs to
shift from uniform, by-the-book care to care centered on the emotional needs of
CHRs/DUs based on suggestions from the AI. It is also possible to utilize service
robots equipped with AI in accordance with one’s goal. This would reduce the
emotional burden (such as anxiety and fear) of CHWs when providing care and
allow CHRs/DUs to receive care based on their own emotional needs. Thus,
differing from conventional methods, new service providing initiatives utilizing
the knowledge obtained from the cooperation of AI and humans can be perceived
as care service innovation, which aims to provide better psychological outcomes to
CHRs/DUs and CHWs and to ensure a higher QOL.
Finally, to resolve caregiving challenges in Japan as a country with rapid aging,
the status of caregiving services, which are advantageous for CHRs/DUs and CHWs,
should be explored. Given that CHWs are required to provide services within the
economic limits of the management, some CHWs report that they are unable to spare
time to provide tailored psychological support to CHRs/DUs in keeping with their
IT
Care Service
Users
Emotion
of
better QOL
Research and product innovation
Care service Innovation
Caregivers
Realization of
better QOL
AI
Transmitting
Supporting
Giving
counsel
Learning
Transmitting
Information
Wisdom
Perceiving
Fig. 6 Translational informatics bridging emotion and QOL
54
Y. Ikeda et al.