| Your doctor may soon be a robot, or so the | | | | Steven Hawkins. |
| whispers warn. Sound like something out of a bad | | | | Johns Hopkins also has a robotic teleconferencing |
| science-fiction movie? Well, maybe you should ask | | | | system to help communicate with patients who need |
| whichever physician shows up on-screen of the RP-7 | | | | a translator when one is not available at the hospital |
| Remote Presence Robotic System by InTouch | | | | itself. Use of such technology could have |
| Technologies, a maneuverable robotic system | | | | tremendously positive effects on Texas' healthcare |
| designed to allow physicians to videoconference with | | | | system -- particularly in Dallas, Houston, and Austin -- |
| their patients from remote locations. | | | | which handles a high volume of patients who do not |
| Dr. Alex Gandsas, of Baltimore's Sinai Hospital and | | | | speak English. Lack of adequate communication is a |
| holder of stock options with InTouch Technologies, | | | | major obstacle to receiving quality healthcare for |
| introduced the machine to hospital administrators as a | | | | many immigrants in Texas. Lack of quality healthcare, |
| way to closely monitor patients after the weight loss | | | | in turn, can lead to serious public health issues, |
| surgeries in which he specializes. Since its introduction, | | | | including the transmission of communicable diseases. |
| the length of his patients' stays has been shorter. In | | | | Approximately 120 RP-7 Remote Presence Robotic |
| Gandsas' study published earlier this month in the | | | | Systems are currently in use around the world, with |
| Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 92 of | | | | plans to implement many more in the coming years. |
| 376 patients had additional robotic visits, and all 92 of | | | | China is already using similar systems to help deal |
| them were medically cleared to return home faster | | | | with the lack of medical care in rural, inaccessible |
| than those who did not receive check-ins with the | | | | areas. |
| teleconferencing system. Shorter patient stays would | | | | Dr. Louis Kavoussi, chairman of the urology |
| be a welcome change for hospitals, health insurance | | | | department at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health |
| companies, and patients alike -- all of which have a | | | | System, took a special interest in this new trend and |
| vested interested in sending patients home faster. | | | | conducted a study monitoring the effect of the |
| While further studies should, without a doubt, be | | | | technology on patient care. The study showed no |
| performed by physicians who do not hold a financial | | | | decrease in patient satisfaction, and no increase in |
| interest in the technology, these preliminary results | | | | complications due to teleconferencing visits. The |
| do show promise. The robotic visits were not used | | | | technology, Kavoussi said, is "rudimentary," really, in |
| by Gandsas to replace his personal check-ins with | | | | comparison to other developing systems. The need |
| patients -- only to add to them. Neither InTouch | | | | for fear is minimal. |
| Technologies, nor Dr. Gandsas envisions the "Bari," or | | | | There are relatively few of InTouch Technologies' |
| so it's nicknamed, as completely replacing personal | | | | systems available, and further studies have yet to be |
| visits with healthcare professionals. Instead, the | | | | conducted. If robotic teleconferencing is used as a |
| joystick-controlled system, which employs cameras, a | | | | supplement to personal physicians' visits, however, it |
| video screen, and microphone, is intended to | | | | has the potential of dramatically improving many |
| supplement physicians' traditional visits, and to allow | | | | aspects of healthcare -- from how quickly patients' |
| patients and healthcare workers to receive advice | | | | questions are answered, to how many visits, in total, |
| from qualified physicians and specialists when it may | | | | they receive, to whether or not rural residents |
| otherwise be impossible. Doctors may soon be able | | | | receive proper care, to how well (or even if) they |
| to provide their patients with additional daily check-ins | | | | are provided with a translator to explain their |
| and answer questions much faster, all while sitting in | | | | symptoms. States like Texas, in particular, with |
| their own homes or while away from the area. | | | | shortages of doctors and high volumes of patients |
| Sinai Hospital isn't the only one with this technology, | | | | who do not speak English, stand to benefit. So |
| however. In fact, robots have been in use for some | | | | maybe robots in hospitals aren't something one needs |
| time to assist with patient care, including guiding | | | | to fear. In fact, they may even get your unpleasant |
| stroke patients through therapy, and helping them | | | | stay over with a few days faster. |
| play video games. Many prosthetic devices are now | | | | Being aware of medical technology is an important |
| at least partially robotic, and if it weren't for a certain | | | | part of taking care of your health. How you take |
| amount of robotic technology, the public would not | | | | care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, |
| be able to communicate with such great minds as | | | | and eventually your wallet, as well. |