We wrote an article about Veebot a few years back when we gathered the most interesting tasks that robots could perform in hospitals. You can see the updated version of this article here. Veebot developed a robot that can draw blood in difficult situations faster than and more efficiently than a person. It was able to identify the most accessible veins with 83% accuracy in tests. This technology is comparable to an experienced human phlebotomist. This technology makes blood drawing fast and easy.
Veebot’s video became hugely popular due to their desire to automate a process that is known and disapproved of by everyone. Everyone wanted the same result that the robot could achieve, but without the robot.
The idea became a reality after several years. Vitestro announced recently that their blood-drawing machine, officially called an “Autonomous Blood Drawing Device, Combining Artificial Intelligence, Ultrasound Imaging and Robots”, has performed over 1500 blood draws on more than 1000 patients. They will be launching pivotal clinical trials in 2023 to obtain regulatory approval. The device is expected to hit the European Union market in 2024.
Aren’t you afraid of a blood draw.
Blood draws are one the most commonly performed clinical procedures. We wrote about it earlier. (Remember Theranos?) There are no other methods to obtain sufficient blood from patients. It’s not a difficult procedure for nurses or medical professionals, even though it’s common. When I was first required to draw blood, I vividly remember the feeling. A kind, elderly lady was terrified and I tried to comfort her. This would be a great experience for both patients and medics.
This is not surprising, as people aren’t fond of giving blood or needles. These fears are common among many people. These fears are so common that there are multiple names for them, such as haemophobia or trypanophobia and BII. Many healthcare professionals have difficulty finding veins in patients or can’t locate them at all. This is because these conditions can make it difficult for doctors to identify the veins. Healthcare professionals have a 73% success rate in finding veins using a needle with these patients.
There are some devices that support blood draws, such as vein scanners that detect veins. However, these are extremely expensive and won’t work in all cases. Robots, however, can.
Is it annoying that robots touch us?
This is because robots pose a problem. They seem to make us humans a bit afraid. We tend to dislike them more the more they are human-like. Even if they do a better job than us, this is still a problem. As another cultural shift towards digital healthcare, this is a burden that we must bear.
In a clinical trial, a robotic blood drawing solution was demonstrated to be a viable option. This news was made a few years back. Rutgers University researchers found that the automated blood draw robot could sometimes outperform humans performing the same task. The robot, which also includes a blood analyzer, could allow nurses and doctors to spend more of their time treating patients than swiping them with needles.
Automation as the ultimate solution
It won’t assume that they know where the vein runs, it actually s it. It doesn’t shake its hands, isn’t overworked and won’t become tired. This saves valuable nurse time.
However, nurses would still be required to be present to offer support and empathy to the patient. They do not have to carry the responsibility of ‘doing good’. The patient would also be safer if the process automation was used.
Robots in hospitals
Robots have been benefited by the pandemic. They can be used in many areas. In the last years, we have heard about surgical robots and disinfectant robots. We also hear about robots that support telehealth. There are many other options. From humanoids to ‘tablet-on-a-stick’-kind of devices, the aim is to support humans by taking the weight off of their shoulders.
These devices received an extra boost because they were able to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent hospital-acquired infection. They could thus move out of the ” cute, but sometimes useless“-category to a field that can be useful for those actually working in hospitals. As in the case with blood samples that were taken by robots.
Although it’s not a radical idea, we believe this is a good one. These sci-fi technologies offer a great platform for forward-looking discussions that will help us understand the challenges of technology that seems strange at first.
MRI scans are trusted. Why can’t we trust robots, MRI scans?
Patients are already familiar with many technologies used in modern medicine. For MRI scans, we lie still. We allow CT scans and X-rays, as well as examinations with any other valuable machines or devices in the hospital.
The Medical Futurist’s goal is to help healthcare organizations, governments, and medical professionals adopt digital health technology. We aim to create a global community that is able to drive innovation in healthcare and make the necessary cultural and pragmatic changes.
Our vision is that all stakeholders (medical professionals and patients, policymakers, and institutions) will make use of cutting-edge technology. But at the heart of all healthcare interactions is the care and listening of each other.
We just need someone to put it in place.
The post Would you let a robot take your blood sample? The Medical Futurist first published this article.
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By: Judit Kuszkó
Title: Would You Let A Robot Take Your Blood Sample?
Sourced From: medicalfuturist.com/would-you-let-a-robot-take-your-blood-sample
Published Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2022 08:00:00 +0000
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