Hospitals are expected to soon be filled with robotic doctors and nurses who will care for patients, answer their questions, and provide necessary care, following significant success in trials in this field. This development comes in response to the increasing crisis resulting from the shortage of doctors and medical professionals in many countries, which delays the treatments that patients need. According to details published by the British newspaper "Daily Mail," an important trial in this area in the UK has shown that the "robot" has successfully interacted with patients and addressed their inquiries, potentially reducing the burdens on doctors and nursing staff in hospitals.
The newspaper stated that AI robots can relieve some of the burden from exhausted nurses by handling patient questions and performing simple tasks. A successful trial was recently conducted in a hospital, revealing that the robots could "smoothly" answer inquiries related to wait times for doctors and other subjects. The machines were also capable of engaging in "general chats" with patients, in addition to providing tests, puzzles, and even calming breathing exercises. Importantly, they found the robots capable of keeping up with conversations involving multiple nurses and patients simultaneously.
The "National Robotarium" in the UK, based at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, played a pivotal role in the "Socially Assistive Robots in Elderly Healthcare" project, funded by the European Union with a budget of £7 million. A trial conducted on elderly patients in a Paris hospital aimed to test whether robots could "assist patients, alleviate their anxiety, and reduce pressure on nursing staff."
Scientists stated that robots could be vital in "enhancing productivity" regarding "simple but repetitive duties" in healthcare. They noted that these robots could also help reduce the risk of infection by minimizing potential physical contact between doctors and patients. So-called "social robots" are increasingly being introduced in public spaces using the same technology that chatbots employ to conduct fluent conversations resembling human dialogues with visitors.
Oliver Lemon, a professor of artificial intelligence and co-leader of the National Robotarium program, remarked that the results represent a "significant milestone" in bringing social robots into hospitals. He added, "The prospect of robots seamlessly collaborating with hospital staff to enhance patient experience is now closer to reality," and continued, "Initial promising trials have demonstrated our robot's capability to effectively communicate with patients and their companions simultaneously."
He explained that the machines were able to perform "routine tasks," such as giving directions and providing general information, while also answering "frequent questions," like operating hours and "how long should I wait?" He added that they could also "help alleviate anxiety and provide entertainment" through calming exercises and playing games with patients. The Scottish government minister, Malcolm Offord, noted that "early trials on assistive robots are proving the vast potential of this advanced technology to provide vital support to health workers, improve patient care, and prevent the spread of infections and diseases."
