Coming to a Hospital Near You: Remote Presence Robots

The first fully programmable and digitally operated robot was used in 1961, and today there are nearly a million robots in use worldwide (International Federation of Robotics). Robots are no longer science fiction; they are now a part of our daily lives. Robots are used domestically as well as in manufacturing, education, the military, and medicine. Robots can build your car, clean your house, and now, even take your pulse.

Robots have been assisting in the surgery ward for some time, but the latest advances in robotics have led to the development of a special robot that may be roaming the hallways of a hospital near you. These robots are using remote presence technology. Remote presence is the abilityusing the power of robotics, telecommunications and the internetto project someone from one place to another, and allow them to interact as if they were there. This technology is particularly valuable in the healthcare industry because there are simply not enough doctors and nurses to go around, especially in small or remote hospitals where there may not be a specialist readily available. Remote presence can project a neurologist in Boston to a patient's bedside in San Diego.

InTouch Technologies is a California-based robotics company paving the way with their RP-7 robot. The RP-7 is equipped with advanced audio and visual equipment to allow for two-way communication; that is, both parties can see and hear one another in real-time. The RP-7 is quite dexterous and the doctor can control the robot's cameras and sensors remotely to examine the patient. Laptops, printers, cameras, digital stethoscopes or other equipment can all be attached to the RP-7. It also stores and transmits information like electronic medical records, echocardiogram images, EKG's, ultrasounds, and more.

Rather than performing automated tasks in place of a human, the RP-7 is a vehicle for communication between humans. EDGAR.Educated Doctor Guiding Assisting Robothas been a robotic resident at Grande Ronde Hospital in Oregon since 2007. The staff there has fully embraced the remote-presence technology. EDGAR has transmitted the virtual presence of specialists from thousands of miles away. In the maternity ward, images of newborns are transmitted via EDGAR to determine whether or not they need to be transferred to a different hospital. EDGAR doesn't just connect doctors to patients, he can pull up a patient's electronic medical record and allow doctors and staff to consult with one another about diagnosis and treatment.

InTouch's revolutionary robot is used in intensive care units, emergency rooms, and patient wards nationwide. Notable medical facilities using remote-presence robots include: UCLA, Johns Hopkins, the Trinity Healthcare System, Sutter Health Care System, the Detroit Medical Center and Hackensack University Medical Center.

What once seemed like fantasy is now a reality as technology in robotics is advancing at an incredible rate. The International Federation of Robotics states that forty thousand robots were employed in service fields at the end of 2006 ranging from medical to military, and this number is expected to nearly double by 2010. In some cases, robots can be used to replace human beings, but technologies are also being developed to create robots that augment our natural abilities and expedite and enhance the sharing of information. The remote presence robot RP-7 is one such example.

Helen Walker. e-MDs is a leading developer of medical management software solutions. e-MDs Solution Series is the standard for affordable and integrated EHR, EMR, and practice management software.