SchoolCare Study Using Telepresence Robots and School Navigation to Support Children Aged 5-17 Undergoing Cancer Treatment

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate a social intervention designed to reduce school absence among children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years who are undergoing cancer treatment. Despite improvements in survival rates for pediatric cancer, patients often face significant challenges such as disrupted schooling, social isolation, and psychosocial difficulties. The study investigates the impact of telepresence robots combined with school navigation support to improve educational continuity and emotional well-being during treatment. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group receives a comprehensive intervention including a school navigator, a telepresence robot either the AV1 desk-based robot or the BEAM mobile robot, and a teleteaching program with technical support. The other group receives standard care plus a school navigator without the telepresence robot. The intervention lasts for eight months, during which the robot helps children remotely attend school, while navigators coordinate educational plans and communication among the hospital, home, and school. Throughout the study, researchers collect data on school attendance monthly through calls and attendance registers. They also assess social well-being and academic level at the start and end of the intervention. The study includes ongoing technical and educational support to participants and tracks outcomes to understand how telepresence technology combined with personalized support can help children maintain school participation and social engagement during cancer treatment.

SchoolCare: A Social Intervention Introducing Telepresence Robots and School Navigation to Reduce School Fragmentation for Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment