Over the years, more than a few doctors have been accused of having a “robotic” bedside manner. Now, thanks to new advancements in technology, some patients may mean it literally. The Mercy Telehealth Network in California is using robots to enable doctors to make decisions when time is of the essence.
No, it is not as cold and robotic as it sounds—hospitals are not leasing robots for $4,000 to $6,000 each month because C3PO (actually, its name is RP-VITA, short for Remote Presence Virtual Independent Telemedicine Assistant) is less expensive than paying a doctor. Hospitals are taking advantage of the fact that it takes an average of four to six minutes between making the decision to call a doctor and having the doctor at the patient’s bedside to make decisions, far less time than it takes to get the doctor to the patient’s bedside physically. When every second counts, this capability can be invaluable.
Neurologist Dr. Alan Shatzel of the Mercy Neurological Institute is enthusiastic about RP-VITA; he told Richard Chang, of The Sacramento Bee, “Before, you couldn’t see the patient when an important decision needed to be made. This has proven to be tremendously valuable.” Shatzel went on to say that often, what the nurses describe does not match what the doctors see, making it far superior to relying on a secondhand account. Such robots will not only save patients, it will also help to reduce the cost of healthcare. There is one drawback, he says—the doctors cannot touch the patients.
This, along with mHealth and other advancements, give patients a great deal to look forward to in terms of a higher standard of care and lower healthcare costs. Technology is making the ability to care for the future health of the Baby Boomers, who would, undoubtedly, have overwhelmed hospital resources in the past, more of a possibility.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
