Will Robots become “Co-workers” in Health Care?

Robots in the Healthcare
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Will Robots become “Co-workers” in Health Care?
Globalization and urbanization have enabled various advancements in machinery including robotics. The changes have allowed a shift from the regular information to knowledge-based society. However, the main issue of contention is the possibility of robots replacing the workforce, especially in the healthcare sectors. This concern has attracted both admiration and discontent based on the ethical, safety, and efficiency of the machines to perform critical functions of saving the human life. The uncertainty of the machines to deliver these essential services has led to reluctance in the rate of technological adoption in the healthcare services. However, as evidenced in the research, robots can never replace human workers in the health sector. Instead, the robots can complement the services of clinicians to conduct safe service delivery and enhance the efficiency of the healthcare to handle the ever increasing and multiplicity of patient and health challenges respectively.
Robotics in Healthcare
Notably, with the increasing life expectancy from 69.8 years in 1960 to 78.8 years today, the ‘Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention’ (CDC) suggests the significance of new approaches to treatment and medical care. Although robotic health may not completely replace the health workers, it may offer some critical assistance. It is evident that the healthcare ecosystem is evolving at a faster rate from clinical healthcare at a distance (telemedicine) to stimulated and monitored nervous system (bioelectronics).

For the past 100 years, the remarkable achievement in the medical field has been the change from populace healthiness to individual genome analysis. The approach also encompasses the development of an individual’s genome sequencing attached to geneses of maladies. Remarkably, the medical nanotechnology is anticipated to use nanorobots in a patient to produces a cellular level (Hodin, 2011). Besides, there is also the introduction of “smart” medications that involve wireless machinery and broadband facilitated l implements that are consumed to analyze internal reports to prescriptions.
Examples of Robotics
The use of robots in the health sector is increasing as suggest by the ‘Healthcare Robotics 2015-2020’. Largely, the clinical service sector incorporates three main types of robots namely direct care robots, home-based healthcare robots and subsidiary care robots. The direct/primary patient care robots include operating automatons used integrated to provide specialized clinical procedure, prosthetics used for replacing limbs and exoskeletons used in the repair of bionic postponements (Overmyer, 2011). Conversely, the ancillary robots used in the hospitals comprise the delivery robots that provide/deliver medical goods and equipment in the hospital institution. Others involve the decontamination robots that interrelate with different persons suffering from infectious diseases. Finally, the pharmacy equipment or robots that assist in the management and control of hospital inventory exist in this category. The robots used in the context of service delivery to patients at home comprise the telepresence solutions that discourse the aging populace with computerization backing.
Benefits
The use of medical robots has had a positive impact on the field of medicines. Medical robots have the steady hands in an operating theater. Studies carried out have shown that in a life-saving operation, a patient has a 95% possibility of goof health when operated by a robotic structure while one has 90% chance while using a personal medical staff (Mullet, 2009). Secondly, medical robots can fix broken bones thus can allow people suffering from fractured bones walk again. Additionally, they can develop contraceptives that are radio-controlled and can deliver the daily dose up to 16 years.
Moreover, surgery robots help surgeons carry out successful operations with minimal invasion to the body of the patient hence services are made more accurate. Lastly, some robots are provided with a masterstroke in directing a needle to travel through body parts that are difficult to invade, for instance, they can move through the brain and can also be used to remove blood clots.
Disadvantage
Although the use of robots may seem effective and efficient, it has some limitations that include; use of medical robots during surgery is very expensive as compared to using medical professionals that are contributed by the high cost of the devices utilized in the manufacture of the robots and the top training needed to operate the system. For instance, anyone willing to become a surgeon has first to learn traditional surgery and use of medical robots. Additionally, medical robotics are bulky and large which causes overcrowding in operation rooms.
Critical Analysis
Although the use of medical robotics has outstanding advantages, there are still significant concerns about these innovative advances in the medical field such as the regulation, beliefs, and social acceptance as well as if the cost is worth it. Notably, Overmyer (2011) hypothesizes that there is a struggle of getting patients to trust the medical robotics since they hardly know about them and will be hesitant in allowing them to alter their bodies especially when their life is a stake. On the basis that the medical robots take more time for procedures, are expensive, and are operated under stricter regulations than another method is a significant disadvantage for the robotics in the healthcare. Such equips costs millions of dollars, and the costs appreciate because most of the additional equipment are disposable (Hodin, 2011). The strict regulations are evident in the case of the Da Vince robot where legislation has taken over a decade to be accepted (Butter et al., 2008).
In the past decades when medical robots were introduced in operating rooms, their precision was higher than anything in the medical fields. However, in the present times, there has been an expected rise in complications in some of the surgeries. After the introduction of the first surgical robotics systems, ROBODOC, the hip replacement was presumed to be perfect. However, recent studies have shown that there have been occurrences of unexpected consequences caused by this system (Butter et al., 2008).
Recommendations
Notably, there has been little discussion on the possible impact of medical robots on employment, the economy, and job destruction. Remarkably, there is no concrete explanation on how the new era of robotics will influence the market mechanisms in balancing these problems in the end. Thus, further studies should purpose to identify the long-term effects of using medical robotics.
Additionally, there is the need to undertake further researches based on the intelligent machines and the impact of robotics on the society. For instance, researchers should come up with well-structured ideas to elaborate how far a robotized and automated society can develop.
Conclusion
It is evident that medical robotics have enhanced surgical procedures and increased efficiency in the medical sector, however; the cost and the complexity of using robotics limit the incorporation of robots in the medical field. It is vital to reflect on how far these machines can complement or replace human work. The fact that there will be a replacement of workers due to the introduction of the machines will create substitutability dilemma and the balance between technology-driven unemployment, and job conservation will be a major challenge for policy makers. Finally, it is evident that medical robots can serve many purposes and can co-work with healthcare staff, but they cannot replace human workers. Remarkably, they must remain in the service of man’s humanity.
References
Butter, M., Rensma, A., van Boxsel, J., Kilisingh, S., Schoone, M., Leis, M.,…Korhonen, I. (2008). Robotics for Healthcare Final Report.  Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/health/docs/studies/robotics_healthcare/robotics-final-report.pdf.
Hodin, R.A. (2011). Is robotic surgery better?. Harvard Health Letter; 36(7), 1. Retrieved on October 5, 2011, from EBSCOhost
Mullett,S(2009, Feb). Robots used for medication delivery, other tasks. Health day News, 72(2), 15.
Overmyer, M. (2011). Robotics offers good outcomes, but cost remains a factor. Urology Times, 39(6), 1-21. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from EBSCOhost.