Robots in Medical Technology & Healthcare: Are We Ready Yet?

Our fascination with robots dates back to hundreds of centuries when ancient Greeks and Indians conceptualized mechanical beings to perform complex tasks and guard treasures.

While robots are revolutionizing every field, their contribution is especially pertinent to medical practice. From helping surgeons on the operation table to assisting surgeons with decision-making, robots can perform a wide range of tasks. In fact, Da Vinci, a robotic instrument approved by the FDA in 2000, has performed over 6 million surgeries worldwide.

But robots are performing an even more crucial task, viz., taking over administrative and other mundane jobs that medical professionals would like to skip leaving them more time to devote their resources to a job they’ve signed up for – caring for the sick and vulnerable.

We’ve seen how chatbots welcome visitors to a website, offering to help people with their queries. They’re now being used to initiate a medical query and often serve as virtual assistants by taking calls, answering basic questions, and performing specific pre-programmed tasks. These chatbots can also be programmed to ask standard COVID 19-related queries.  Initial triage is being transformed.

However, there are many limitations to using chatbots. For one, they’re only as good as the people programming them. But if applied correctly, they can help medical professionals perform tasks relevant to patient care. For instance, they can ask for personal information and outline the medical condition in the aforementioned triage capacity.

Over the last few weeks, we have discussed how medical staff are increasingly facing burnout and even tempted to quit the profession altogether. While we may crave human-to-human contact, technology has already automized tasks like measuring sugar levels and blood pressure, measuring sleep patterns, etc. It’s just a case of getting used to the idea of not speaking to a human while these tasks are being performed. We need to get comfortable with the idea that these robots aren’t diagnosing but just freeing up skilled staff to focus on essential tasks.

Besides, the advantages of using robots for these tasks far outweigh the drawbacks. For one, qualified medical staff have more free time without dealing with administrative and triage functions. Chatbots can make the job easy in the early stages of a medical conversation.

Robots are already being used to perform minimally invasive surgery because they’re more precise and have better dexterity than humans. But robots aren’t doing the task alone; robotic arms are controlled by surgeons who get a high-definition 3D view of the site where they’re operating. This means that more procedures can be performed every day, smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery. It will revolutionize medicine in the long run.

If we are to find a permanent solution to the acute staffing crisis in the medical profession, we must become open to accepting robots, at least in the initial stages of inquiry. Technology can be used to augment patient care and not replace skilled care. When done correctly, it can improve patient care and help medical staff to become more productive.

At PX3, we are part of the conventional medical staff recruitment process but understand the role of technology in improving medical care. Call us to learn how we can find the right medical staff for your organization.