John T. Hughes | Sr. Marketing Consultant
(877) 456-2867 x 4233 | jhughes@deltalocums.com
Let’s talk about robots and healthcare.
“The Politics of Dancing” is a techno record that was mixed by Paul Van Dyk and released in 2001. The guy is a genius. I don’t like most techno music but his is a perfect cacophony of space-like techno sounds and classic progressions that have existed from the creation of the universe. I mean, let’s face it, music is just audible mathematics; but I digress, we are getting off topic.
What do robots and healthcare have to do with Paul Van Dyk?
I keep reading more and more about robots in hospitals. As a matter of fact, one of my practice management clients here at Delta Locum Tenens is venturing into that world by integrating telepresence robots into their staffing model. Are we ready for this, to be diagnosed and treated by a machine?
Dr. Ara Darzi of St. Mary’s Hospital in London seems to think so. In a 2006 article on CNN.com, Dr. Darzi spoke of the advantages of robotic surgery. "These robots work on the 'master slave' concept, with the surgeon as the master," says Dr. Ara Darzi. "[the da Vinci system] has three arms, and you can add a fourth, with 3D stereo imagery available during surgery. It also has a motion scaling concept, which can be scaled down to five-to-one, so you can be much more precise than a human hand could. The surgeon feels very similar sensations to if he or she was working with their hands."
It is important to understand, however, that at this juncture the robots are completely dependant on humans for operation. Think of them as really fancy remote control cars. "It's easy to imagine a future where, if I need a medical specialist from afar [a robot] could remotely become his or her 'eyes, hands, and ears,'" says Joanne Pransky, an expert on robot psychiatry.
It all sounds terribly exciting to be sure. But one issue with telemedicine is the human factor. The CNN article goes on to discuss the need for “a caring human presence”. Obviously robots don’t give nice hugs or talk about how bad the Dallas Cowboys are going to be next season. People need that and I don’t think that is going to go away.
So where do we find ourselves presently? Well, with a critical shortage of physicians and nurses, robots are going to have to pick up the slack. The trick will be finding a harmonious balance between traditional human on human care and the future with robots tending to patients. If you ask this quasi-expert, I think the healthcare industry can find a fine example in the music of Paul Van Dyk.
So cue the music Mr. Van Dyk… Everybody do the robot!
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/04/19/robmedical/index.html
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