May 05, 2023
Robotic Automation in Healthcare & How it can help
Introduction
Medical practice is poised to undergo a transformation as a result of robotics. Robots are becoming increasingly popular in medicine due to technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, miniaturisation, and computer power. A probe was inserted into the brain using a robotic arm and computed tomography navigation about 34 years ago to obtain a biopsy specimen using medical robots.[1] In recent years, computer vision and data analytics powered by artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed medical robots.[2]
Currently, robotic technology is used in operating rooms and clinical settings to support healthcare workers and improve patient care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and clinics were using robots to help reduce exposure to pathogens through a wide range of tasks that robots can accomplish. Robots have emerged as one of the most popular surgical tools in today's world. Specifically, robots, computers and software are used to accurately manipulate surgical instruments through small incisions on the skin during a variety of surgical procedures. In different industries, surgical robots are being developed for the purpose of performing a specific surgical procedure, for example, replacing a knee or hip.
India installed the first urologic robotic system in 2006, following the approval of the da Vinci system by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2000[3]. As the decade progressed, robotic surgery in India experienced unprecedented growth. As of July 2019, there were 66 robotic centres and 71 robotic installations located throughout India, and there are approximately 500 robotic surgeons trained in the field[4]. It has been reported that more than 12,800 surgeries have been performed with the assistance of robotic surgery during the past 12 years. More robotic surgeons are expected to become trained, as well as other surgical specialities utilizing this platform to a greater extent. This article examines robotic automation in healthcare surgery.
Robotics in healthcare
Robotics is used in healthcare for a variety of tasks, ranging from simple laboratory tasks to complex surgical procedures. In addition to assisting human surgeons, surgical robots can perform procedures on their own. Aside from that, robots are also used in labs and hospitals to complete repetitive tasks, assist patients with long-term conditions, and support them with rehabilitation and physical therapy. There is an expected growth of $20 billion in the global medical robotics market by 2023. There are several possibilities for robotic applications in the healthcare industry, including, but not limited to the following:
The rise of surgical assistance robots: Robotic surgical assistance has become more precise thanks to advances in motion control technologies. By leveraging computer vision capabilities and artificial intelligence, these robots assist surgeons and doctors in performing complex surgical procedures with high levels of accuracy and speed. It is becoming increasingly common to perform most internal procedures using surgical robots instead of open surgery. The use of these devices makes the surgical process more accurate and straightforward, as well as reduces the risk of complications and infections. The use of robots in orthopaedic surgery is also on the rise. Robots are being programmed to replace knees and hips in addition to performing orthopaedic surgeries.
The rise of service robots: The primary purpose of service robots is to automate tasks that are routinely performed by healthcare professionals. Many service robots are capable of working autonomously and even sending reports after completing a task once they have been programmed to do so. Additionally, they can assist in the cleaning and disinfection of the facility. Among the methods used by these robots to reduce the risk of infection and uniformly sanitize places include UV light, air filtration, and hydrogen peroxide vapours.
Social robots: In addition to their ability to interact directly with humans, social robots provide a number of benefits. Robots such as these can be used to monitor patients and provide social interaction in long-term care settings. Depending on their aims, they may help patients follow their treatment regimens, augment their cognitive engagement, and assist them in being alert and positive while following their treatment regimens.
Pros & Cons-Benefits of robotic automation in healthcare surgery
In the COVID-19 crisis, the healthcare industry occupied the forefront in all aspects and played a significant role in the well-being of the country and its citizens. Healthcare organizations place a high priority on patient care, safety, and information security. It is therefore imperative that the industry stays on top of the latest technological developments. In order to update technology in this sector, India is making every effort to do so as a developing nation. As part of today's healthcare technologies, digital operations, e-services, and artificial intelligence (AI) are used extensively. The sector must, however, undergo a great deal of transformation before it can fully utilize its full potential.
An important role that Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can play here is to assist with this process. By eliminating repetitive and time-consuming manual tasks, RPA enables organizations to work more productively. It is through this method that human resources can be utilized more effectively by engaging them in activities that add high value to the company and at the same time improve customer satisfaction and interaction levels.
For a surgical program to succeed, it must be available in large numbers, the steps need to be standardized, and repetition of exposure to the same diseases reinforces the stringent management protocols and ensures efficient utilization of resources at a reasonable cost. Despite being a major social issue, the alarming increase in the Indian population results in the treatment of a large number of patients by a single surgeon. Consequently, most robotic surgeons can cross the learning curve early and have an abundance of learning opportunities available to them.
As far as the nominal gross domestic product was concerned, India ranked 7th in the world and 3rd in terms of purchasing power parity, according to this report[5]. Between 2015 and 2018, the Indian economy experienced the fastest growth among major economies in the world, surpassing the Chinese economy for the first time[6] (see here). With the growth of the economy and the rapid expansion of the healthcare industry, institutions are being decentralized and more hospitals can offer robotic surgery, thus resulting in a decline in the cost of the procedure.
Increase in the number of experienced surgeons In addition to having improved ergonomics, motion scalability, and tremor filtration, robotic technology has also increased the age of the surgical capability of surgeons. A country like India, where there is a constant demand for surgeons and whose population is growing rapidly, would benefit greatly from such a program.
Robotic surgery is becoming increasingly popular in India as other disciplines are slowly embracing it, which allows for a reduction in maintenance costs, making it a much more cost-effective option.[7]
There are currently several robotic systems being developed for clinical applications. It is anticipated that these systems will result in a competitive market for intuitive surgical devices, which will reduce the initial investment cost and maintainability, thus making them more accessible and more widely used by the Indian population.
Drawbacks of robotic automation in healthcare surgery
The growing popularity of robotic surgery could result in patients placing an undue amount of pressure on the surgeon because of their irrational demands. As a result, robotic surgery may be used irrationally out of fear of being left behind. In countries like India where literacy rates are lower and there is a greater understanding of health, the situation is especially problematic.
The recurring costs of the instruments are of much greater concern than the initial costs. The results of many studies on the cost-effectiveness of open/laparoscopic surgeries for pyeloplasty and prostatectomy have shown that these procedures are much more cost-effective than robotic surgery, and as a result of the expenditures on robotic surgery, the health sector expenditures would increase.
The uses of Robotic Process Automation in the healthcare industry
Electronic data sharing: Robotic Automation can have a crucial role to play in ensuring to adhere to privacy protocols in electronic data sharing within healthcare, by regulating permission and access rights in the sharing of medical records. Additionally, robotic automation makes it possible to detect and respond to cyber-attacks promptly, eliminating the possibility of data loss or corruption as a result. With the enhanced cyber security enabled by this automation, healthcare providers will be able to deal with security breaches in the future, especially if they have suffered any in the past.
Scheduling appointment: The appointment scheduling process is tightly linked to electronic records, and as such, it is a time-consuming process that can be automated through RPA. With RPA, there is a great deal of potential to increase efficiency by scanning incoming data and arranging appointments based on relevant data such as symptoms or suspected diagnosis, availability of doctors, location, or most convenient time for patients. In addition to relieving healthcare professionals of tedious scheduling tasks, this system is also likely to increase the satisfaction of patients by removing the need for laborious scheduling activities.
Monitoring assets: As hospitals are looking to improve their efficiency, it has become increasingly important to monitor assets such as ventilators, defibrillators, and medical pumps. When used in conjunction with digital sensors and cloud-based control panels, RPA can provide the following benefits: ensuring assets can be found easily by staff; improving the accuracy and up-to-dateness of equipment inventories; monitoring the condition of assets to ensure they are replaced when they become faulty.
Conclusion
In the healthcare sector, robotics is already bringing a paradigm shift, and with the advancements in technology, there is expected to be more to come in the future. As a result, it becomes imperative for healthcare organizations to consider the potential long-term benefits of robotic technologies and invest in them to better manage their organizations in the future, especially in light of the tremendous potential these technologies offer. We believe that having considered the various facts and practical, logistic, and economic aspects of the spread of robotic surgery in India, and the judicious use of this technique as well as standardized reporting of results, the spread of robotic surgery is possible.
[1] Marc Zanello, Alexandre Roux, Suhan Senova Robot-Assisted Stereotactic Biopsies in 377 Consecutive Adult Patients with Supratentorial Diffuse Gliomas: Diagnostic Yield, Safety, and Postoperative Outcomes. Available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1878875020326942?via%3Dihub
[2] Ryan A. Beasley Medical Robots: Current Systems and Research Directions. Available here: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jr/2012/401613/
[3] Rafael F. Coelho, Bernardo Rocco Retropubic, Laparoscopic, and Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: A Critical Review of Outcomes Reported by High-Volume Centers. Available here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3122926/
[4]Girdhar S Bora Robot-assisted surgery in India: A SWOT analysis. Available here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338402362_Robot-assisted_surgery_in_India_A_SWOT_analysis
[5] A Shifting Global Economic Landscape. Available here: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2016/12/27/A-Shifting-Global-Economic-Landscape
[6] Indian healthcare market to hit $373 billion by 2022. The Economic Times. 2017/12/03
[7] P.N. Dogra Current Status of Robotic Surgery in India. Available here: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?journal=J+Int+Med+Sci+Acad&title=Current+status+of+robotic+surgery+in+India&author=PN+Dogra&volume=25&publication_year=2012&pages=145&