Strategies for implementing pet robots in care homes and nursing homes for residents with dementia: protocol for a modified Delphi study

Background: Pet robots are a type of technology-based innovation that have shown positive psychosocial benefts  for people with dementia in residential facilities, such as improving mood and social interaction and reducing agitation. Nevertheless, little is known about how pet robots can be implemented in care homes and nursing homes for  dementia care in real-world practice. The objectives of this study are to (1) identify contextualised implementation  strategies for implementing pet robots into care homes and nursing homes for dementia care and (2) achieve consensus on the most relevant strategies. Method: This study is informed by a preceding scoping review and qualitative study, which used the Consolidated  Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR) to identify multi-level determinants of implementation (i.e. barriers and  facilitators). We will use the CFIR-ERIC matching tool to identify relevant implementation strategies from the Expert  Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) taxonomy to address these determinants. Data from the scoping review and qualitative study will be used to contextualise the generic ERIC strategies for our setting. After that,  a group of key stakeholders will be consulted to further contextualise and refne these strategies. Next, a two-round  modifed Delphi process will be conducted. Fifty-four international expert participants including healthcare professionals and organisational leaders from care homes and nursing homes and academic researchers will be recruited  through purposive sampling. During the frst Delphi round, participants will be invited to rate the relevance of each  implementation strategy on a 9-point Likert scale and provide comments or suggestions. Descriptive statistics will be  used to identify whether consensus has been obtained. Inductive qualitative content analysis will be used to analyse  and summarise textual responses for any new statements suggested by participants. Statements that do not reach  consensus and new statements suggested in round 1 will be taken to the next round, which will follow the same rating process. Discussion: This study will identify strategies for implementing pet robots in care homes and nursing homes for residents with dementia, which will have practical utility for clinicians, organisations and researchers. It will also demonstrate the practical application (and adaptation) of the CFIR-ERIC tool to identify and contextualise ERIC strategie