Emerging Technology: Robots in Health Care

Emerging Technology Brief
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Emerging Technology Brief
The advancement of technology in healthcare organizations has given rise to robots in the healthcare industry. Hospitals use robots for multiple operations, including joint and kidney replacements and open-heart surgery. They are the solution to the current nurse shortage. According to Yoon and Lee (2018), innovative companies designed robots to help nurses perform automated tasks that do not require complex decision-making. For example, some robots can make rounds, deliver medications to patients, take vital signs, and grab medical records. Such robots are helpful in nursing facilities where patients need reminders to take prescribed drugs or get out of bed (Kyrarini et al., 2021). Others may help patients stand and get into a wheelchair or go to the bathroom. Others can draw blood with less pain and anxiety for the patient.
Simply put, robots free nurses from these simple, time-consuming tasks, allowing them to concentrate on tasks that need specialized attention. Unfortunately, many hospitals lack enough personnel to perform these tasks. With robots, hospitals solve the problem of nurse fatigue because robots can handle these activities faster, thus, reducing hospital congestion, particularly in emergency departments (Kyrarini et al., 2021). Robots also provide safe and quality care to patients. For instance, service robots help keep nurses safe by transporting supplies and linens in hospitals at risk of pathogen exposure (Yoon & Lee, 2018). Likewise, cleaning and disinfecting robots reduce pathogen exposure while minimizing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
Ethical Issues
The primary ethical issue about robotic technologies is the replacement of human labor. Robots are thought to replace human labor because they perform human tasks in hospitals. They are likely to reduce the demand for human work in healthcare organizations. Concerns have been raised whether innovators introduced this technology to solve challenges in healthcare or save money by replacing human caregivers (Stahl & Coeckelbergh, 2016). Another moral issue surrounding robotic technologies in healthcare is autonomy. Not all robots are autonomous. For instance, surgical robots are remotely contr...