Pacific Asia Consulting Expertise
Why Robots will never fully replace physicians in the healthcare industry
Concerns about the potential impact on the healthcare industry have been raised due to the rise of artificial intelligence and robots. According to mHealth Intelligence, the initial purpose of robotics is to facilitate the transfer of supplies from one room to another or to stabilize a surgeon’s hand. The purpose of clinical robots is to streamline the supply chain and, ultimately, make life easier for nurses.
Let’s look at how AI and robotics are currently used in healthcare, some predictions for the future, and how they affect physician careers.
Connection And Compassion:
A 5-foot-tall Remote Presence Virtual Independent Telemedicine Assistant, or RP-VITA, allows a doctor to examine and communicate with patients in high definition. It has a slight resemblance to R2-D2!). However, doctors analyze and regard ailments and offer profound help and compassion to their patients. Robots are unable to provide this kind of emotional support or connection.
Making complex decisions:
While artificial intelligence (AI) and robots can carry out a wide range of tasks with remarkable speed and precision, they cannot still make complex decisions. Making difficult decisions based on multiple factors, such as a patient’s medical history, current condition, and potential treatment options, is a common aspect of medicine. Such choices require information, yet in addition, clinical experience, judgment, and decisive reasoning abilities.
Questions of morality:
Lastly, several moral issues emerge when robots are used in healthcare. For instance, who is responsible if a robot breaks down and harms a patient? How can we ensure that robots are programmed to prioritize patients’ health ethically? Therefore, a doctor is better equipped than a robot to handle these complicated issues requiring thoughtful consideration and discussion.
Individualized care:
There is no universal strategy for healthcare. Instead, it is essential to provide individualized care considering each patient’s medical history, current condition, and lifestyle. Doctors can only do that by considering all of these factors and tailoring treatments accordingly.
Although robots and artificial intelligence (AI) will undoubtedly play a growing role in healthcare, it is unlikely that they will completely replace physicians. However, physicians are an essential part of the healthcare industry because of their ability to make complex decisions and communicate effectively with patients, as well as their personal touch and personalized care. Yes, robots will continue to exist, but so will the doctors.