Justine S. Sefcik

University of Pennsylvania, California University of Pennsylvania

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Justine S. Sefcik is a leading researcher at the intersection of gerontology, human-robot interaction, and qualitative health research. Her work focuses on developing and evaluating assistive technologies—particularly low-cost mobile service robots—to support aging in place for community-dwelling older adults. Sefcik’s major contributions include establishing user-centered design requirements for affordable robotic systems in elder care settings, such as Supportive Apartment Living (SAL) facilities. Her highly cited studies, including “Task and Design Requirements for an Affordable Mobile Service Robot for Elder Care” (35 citations) and “Stakeholders’ Perceptions Sought to Inform the Development of a Low-Cost Mobile Robot for Older Adults” (30 citations), demonstrate her commitment to incorporating the voices of clinicians, caregivers, and older adults into the design process. By employing qualitative descriptive methods, she has produced actionable guidelines that bridge engineering and caregiving, ensuring that technology meets real-world needs. Her 2017 paper on evaluating older adults’ interactions with a mobile assistive robot (24 citations) further solidifies her impact, offering evidence-based insights for creating dignified, supportive, and practical robotic aids. Sefcik’s work is essential reading for anyone interested in ethical, inclusive, and effective technology for an aging population.