Rapid technological advancement in robotics—sensors, computers, natural vision processing, etc.—and hardware improvement continue to open up new possibilities for robotics in health care.
For instance, Boston Dynamics recently released a video of a robot that can jump over boxes and perform a near-perfect backflip. While you might not see (or need) a robot performing backflips in the hospital anytime soon, the video does show just how far robotics have come in terms of their development.
Research organizations have started to paint an optimistic picture for adoption. In a recent report, IDC Health Insights predicts that by 2020, a quarter of hospitals with 200+ beds will use robots to handle time-consuming tasks, reduce labor, and prevent errors. In a separate report, Boston Consulting Group projects that the global market for robotics will reach $87B by 2025, up from $15B in 2010.
Robotics is not entirely new to health care—the da Vinci Surgical System has been used for years to assist with minimally invasive surgery. However, hospitals and health systems are broadening the scope of applications.
While many robotic applications are still rather in nascent stages, the field (and AI in general) is increasingly gaining traction in health care. Is your team interested? Here are some considerations to get you started.
Don't let the adoption wave pass you by: It's easy to brush off robotics as an unrealistic investment, but early movers will develop competitive advantages in the long term—even if they are simply brainstorming possible applications for the future. Planning now will save some headaches later, as integrating robots into a hospital's workflow and infrastructure can take longer than expected (in addition to any piloting phases).
... But have a plan: Robots can help organizations to cut costs, reduce risk, and enhance productivity, but hospitals need to deploy them strategically. For now, robots typically serve a narrow focus, such as patient companionship, supply chain, material transport, or surgery. Until the industry develops robots that can serve multiple functions, you won't gain optimal value from your investment without explicitly defining your needs first.
Prepare your workforce: A common struggle among health care organizations is the need to find and retain top talent while simultaneously reducing labor costs. It is a growing reality that—much like in other industries—some hospitals will start to eliminate low-skill jobs and replace them with robots. However, the bulk of robotic activity will supplement your staff, alleviating them of mundane or even dangerous jobs so that your employees can focus on patients and other higher-level tasks. Keep in mind that with greater adoption, you may need to invest in workforce training to properly operate and maintain these robots.
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