Veebot: the robot phlebotomist, taking over our jobs?

[medicdan]

This article from IEEE just popped up on my reader... about a machine that identifies veins using infrared light, maps the best one using software, then confirms using ultrasound. It then performs the veinapuncture, and collects samples. Right now, it has an accuracy of ~83%, but they are working to improve that...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s30FPobi9iA[/YOUTUBE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s30FPobi9iA
http://spectrum.ieee.org/robotics/medical-robots/profile-veebot

So, are our jobs in jeopardy? Would you be a patient to this robot? Can you see this being used for IV starts in the future? What do you think?

 

[Carlos Danger]

I can see phlebotomy potentially, someday being replaced by an automated process. But paramedics, not so much.

How would you like to be put to sleep by a machine? Sedasys

 

[JPINFV]

So, are out jobs in jeopardy?

1. I think you accidentally the sentence.

2. Luddites.

3.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=768h3Tz4Qik[/youtube]

 

[Meursault]

In short, here's how I feel about every application of robots in healthcare:

Especially TUGs. They wouldn't be necessary if the people who deliver meal trays had a big red button on their heads that made them stop and not take the elevator from me, but they have other advantages, too.
I'm sure there will be a liability battle with semi-autonomous performance of invasive procedures, and I have a feeling that many patients would rather have a meatbag doing their venipuncture, even if it's less consistent and more risky. We'll overcome that barrier eventually, and in the meantime, we can keep a few humans around to put a friendly face on procedures.

 

[medicdan]

In short, here's how I feel about every application of robots in healthcare:
View attachment 1570
Especially TUGs. They wouldn't be necessary if the people who deliver meal trays had a big red button on their heads that made them stop and not take the elevator from me, but they have other advantages, too.
I'm sure there will be a liability battle with semi-autonomous performance of invasive procedures, and I have a feeling that many patients would rather have a meatbag doing their venipuncture, even if it's less consistent and more risky. We'll overcome that barrier eventually, and in the meantime, we can keep a few humans around to put a friendly face on procedures.

Agreed. Unfortunately the incorporation of "robots" elsewhere in healthcare has not always been successful or useful. Even the Da Vinci surgical robot has had a complex rollout. It became the new sexy purchase for hospital marketing departments, but even the cochrane review admits it is not associated with any improvement in outcome, but increase cost, time, etc.

This isn't to say that this intervention is garbage.... It's not clear whether the real innovation is the infrared and ultrasound visualization and software identification of optimal veins or the actual insertion... But I think we could use this technology to improve existing techniques....

 

[Meursault]

Agreed. Unfortunately the incorporation of "robots" elsewhere in healthcare has not always been successful or useful. Even the Da Vinci surgical robot has had a complex rollout. It became the new sexy purchase for hospital marketing departments, but even the cochrane review admits it is not associated with any improvement in outcome, but increase cost, time, etc.

I don't see "robotic" surgery systems as real robots; they're still driven entirely by a human. And you're right, I don't think a single one's been demonstrated to be cost-effective. (Have you seen the MAKOplasty ads Steward had everywhere last year? Another costly mistake for them.)

I'm interested in replacing humans with automation/robots in simple jobs, like meal delivery, cleaning, cash registers, supply picking and delivery, patient transport, etc. because these jobs are unrewarding for humans, because machines do them better, and for the glory of the Omnissiah.
We still need humans to do on-the-fly problem solving, which is why I'm leery about the Sedasys. With present technology, venipuncture is about as complex a procedure as we can automate, and it's still going to require close human supervision.

 

[JPINFV]

I'm interested in replacing humans with automation/robots in simple jobs, like meal delivery, cleaning, cash registers, supply picking and delivery, patient transport, etc. because these jobs are unrewarding for humans, because machines do them better, and for the glory of the Omnissiah.
We still need humans to do on-the-fly problem solving, which is why I'm leery about the Sedasys. With present technology, venipuncture is about as complex a procedure as we can automate, and it's still going to require close human supervision.

So... basically we need to get the people who designed Amazon's warehouses to design a hospital too.