Keon Ma

About

Keon Ma is a researcher whose work sits at the intersection of pediatric emergency medicine and human-robot interaction, with a focused mission to alleviate the pain and distress children experience during medical procedures. His most significant contribution is a landmark randomized trial published in 2020, which demonstrated that using a humanoid robot as a distraction during intravenous insertion (IVI) in the emergency department significantly reduces children's pain and distress. This study, which has garnered 47 citations, directly addresses a critical clinical need, as IVI is often cited by children as one of the most painful aspects of a hospital visit. Ma’s research provides compelling, evidence-based support for integrating social robots into clinical practice as a non-pharmacological, engaging tool to improve the pediatric patient experience. By rigorously evaluating this novel intervention, his work not only offers a practical, scalable solution for a common and stressful procedure but also opens a promising avenue for future research into robot-assisted care, positioning him as a key figure in the growing field of technology-enhanced pediatric healthcare.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A randomized trial of robot-based distraction to reduce children’s distress and pain during intravenous insertion in the emergency department

   47 citations · 2020
2. 2
   LO63: Humanoid robot-based distraction to reduce pain and distress during venipuncture in the pediatric emergency department: A randomized controlled trial

   9 citations · 2019
3. 3
   113 Humanoid robot-based distraction to reduce pain and distress during venipuncture in the pediatric emergency department: A randomized controlled trial

   3 citations · 2019

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links