“We’re fascinated with robots because they are reflections of ourselves”
— Ken Goldberg
Definition
Robotic Operations refers to the automation of medical procedures through robotics. The technology helps healthcare professionals treat and assist patients and is applied in various ways.
Application & benefits
The deployment of robotics makes medical interventions less invasive and taxing for the patient. This leads to improved patient outcomes and increased patient safety and satisfaction[1-4]. Robotics also has the potential to curb the average duration of hospitalisation [3]. By supporting or taking over actions entirely, robots reduce workload, improve the endurance of the healthcare professional and provide a solution for future staff shortages. Finally, robotisation of medical interventions opens the door to remote interventions [6].
Market
The robotic operations market is growing rapidly. The global market is estimated to grow by 21% annually in the next five years to over $22.3 billion by 2025 [7]. In 2019, the total value sat at a ‘mere’ $7.3 billion [8]. The market value is also set to increase in the years ahead when it comes to healthcare: the surgical robots market was valued at $3.6 billion in 2021 and is expected to increase to $14 billion by 2028 [9]. This growth is mostly caused by the increasing number of applications and recognition of the benefits of this technology. The expected increase in knee and hip operations as a result of high prevalence of osteoporosis and arthrosis contributes to the growth of this market as well [9, 10].
Driving forces
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Hindering forces
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Robotic operations do have some ethical implications: what happens when a robot makes a surgical error? Who is responsible and when can a surgeon intervene? Plus, the implementation of robotic operations is expensive. However, growing acceptance and recognition of the benefits of robotic operations stimulate the deployment of the technology. The value of robots also manifested itself at the height of the corona crisis: they can disinfect rooms, analyse tests and help enforce social distancing [11].
Conclusion
It is clear that the role of robots is growing in various elements of our healthcare system. Robots will participate with increasing autonomy, which will change the role of the healthcare professional in some cases. Medical robots can support healthcare professionals and alleviate the pressure on the job market. Robotics thereby contributes to the evolution of autonomic systems.
References
- Sivathasan, S., Patel, K.M., Smart, S., Nathan, A., Warren, A., Shah, N. & Lamb, B.W., Incremental modification of robotic prostatectomy technique can lead to aggregated marginal gains to significantly improve functional outcomes without compromising oncological control. J Robotic Surg, 2021.
- Roh, H.F., S.H. Nam, and J.M. Kim, Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery versus conventional laparoscopic surgery in randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis, PLoS One, 2018. 13(1)
- Ancin, B., Özercan, M.M., Yilmaz, Y., Uysal, S., Kumbasar, U., Dikmen, E., Yilmaz, M. & Dogan, R., Comparison of early postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing robot-assisted and trans-sternal thymectomy, Journal of Medical and Surgical Research, 2021. 8(1): 973-978.
- Long, E. and F. Kew, Patient satisfaction with robotic surgery, Journal of Robotic Surgery, 2018. 12(3): p. 493-9.
- Turja, T., Aerschot, L. van, Särkikoski, T. & Oksanen, A., Finnish healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards robots: Reflections on a population sample, Nurs Open, 2018. 5(3): 300-309
- Accenture, Artificial Intelligence: Healthcare’s New Nervous System, 2018
- Market Research Engine, Medical Robots Market By Product Analysis; By Application Analysis and By Regional Analysis – Global Forecast by 2020 – 2025, 2020
- Research and Markets, Medical Robots Market – Global Forecasts to 2020-2025, 2020 [Available from: https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/3339343/medical-robotics-market-forecast-2020-2025]
- Grand View Research, Surgical Robots Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Urology, Orthopedics, Neurology, Gynecology), By Region (Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, MEA), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 – 2028, 2021.
- MarketsandMarkets, Surgical Robots Market – Global Forecast 2020-2025, 2020 [Available from: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/surgical-robots-market-256618532.html]
- Zhao, Z., Ma, Y., Mushtaq, A., Rajper, A. M. A., Shehab, M., Heybourne, A., Song, W., Ren, H. and Tse, Z. T. H., Applications of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Technologies During COVID-19: A Review, Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. Cambridge University Press, 2021. pp. 1–11.