Medical inventions of the future

by Written by Michelle Connolly

Michelle Connolly takes a look at some of the latest gadgets (and a robot) that tech heads reckon we won’t be able to practise without in the future.

Robodoc ward round

Already used in many hospitals across the US, the RP (Remote Presence)-7 robotic system may look like an industrial-sized upright vacuum cleaner but it’s not – it’s a robotic doctor. The flatscreen monitor allows doctors to project their face and control robo-doc’s movement to the patient’s bedside from a workstation. It means consultants can make more than one ward round per day whilst not actually being on site. Evidence-based medicine has shown that 24-7 intensivist coverage in ICUs lowers mortality rates. Robo-doc has been used in hospitals to allow consultant doctors increased presence from home and to consult with patients and their team in the ICU. “Patients love it. I was very surprised how much they enjoy interacting with the robot,” Louis Kavoussi, vice chairman of urology at John Hopkins Hospital told JuniorDr.

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