Merehau Cindy Mervin
Papers
3
Total Citations
479
H-Index
3
About
Dr. Merehau Cindy Mervin is a leading health economist and researcher whose work sits at the intersection of geriatric care, robotics, and health technology assessment. Her primary research focuses on evaluating the clinical and economic impacts of social robots—specifically PARO, the therapeutic robotic seal—for managing dementia symptoms in long-term care settings. Dr. Mervin’s major contributions include conducting one of the first rigorous cluster-randomized controlled trials demonstrating that non-facilitated sessions with PARO significantly reduce emotional and behavioral symptoms of dementia, outperforming both a plush toy and usual care (278 citations). She further advanced the field by establishing the cost-effectiveness of PARO, showing it reduces agitation and medication use, thereby offering a viable non-pharmacological intervention (111 citations). Her innovative use of wearable technology to measure motor activity and sleep patterns has provided objective evidence of PARO’s benefits on physical function and rest (90 citations). Dr. Mervin’s work is pivotal in shaping evidence-based policy for integrating affordable robotic aids into dementia care, making her a key figure in translational health economics and gerontechnology.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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