Robots to the Rescue: Revolutionary Technology for the Healthcare Space
Hospital work is both challenging and rewarding. For people attracted to the idea of helping others, working in a hospital seems like a perfect fit. Nursing is an especially popular profession, but too much of a nurse’s time is spent performing non-clinical hospital tasks, such as disinfecting rooms and transporting materials. For nurses and other hospital personnel, these tasks increase their risk of exposure to infectious disease and take time away from patient care.
Working hard, yet hardly working
Hospital work is exhausting. Beyond patient care, the average healthcare worker walks an additional 270 miles a week! That’s:
21 miles to transport lab specimens
29 miles to move hazardous waste
49 miles to fill pharmacy orders
61 miles to deliver meals
72 miles to clean bedding and linens
Many of these tasks require hauling heavy carts, and those performing them can’t attend to patient needs. Add a recent spike in staff shortages, and the hospital is a more stressful work environment than ever before.
Healthcare is hard work
Among the variety of risks to those working in the healthcare field, hospital acquired infections (HAI) is one of the most significant. During the pandemic, 32% of deaths in the first year were nurses, and more than half of them were under 60 years old. Caring for patients comes with a degree of inherent risk, but too often, HAIs are spread by high-contact surfaces — including beds, IV poles, and bedside tables. Exposure to infectious disease is an added stress in an already high stress workplace.
Between the long hours, physical exertion, and pathogen exposure — all to complete non-clinical work — hospital staffing shortages are no surprise. What staff they do have is distracted from patient care by routine tasks, but there is a way to get all the work done without risking personnel health or adding to their stress. Real Work Autonomous Robots (AMR) to the rescue!
Meet the Techi-team
The first AMR you’re likely to meet is the Techi-Concierge. The Concierge is a multipurpose, multilingual guide. The convenient display screen and voice functions easily provide users — patients, staff, visitors, and vendors — with information or directions. If directions aren’t enough, Concierge can also act as a guide to get everyone where they need to go in the hospital. This AMR is perfect for assisting quarantined or isolated patients, and its ability to check and report temperatures makes Concierge an invaluable asset. It even learns on the job — collecting anonymous analytics to improve services in future.
Next up are the Techi-Butlers. These cute little cabinets are ideal delivery bots. They’re easy to operate and navigate autonomously to deliver lab specimens, prescriptions, medications, and more.
Continuing in this vein, Techi-Food and Drink Carts are autonomous, compartmental waitstaff. Compartments can be individually designated for specific rooms, and these AMR even call ahead to inform patients of their upcoming delivery. Once they arrive at the right room, Food and Drink Carts can either wait to be let in the door or open it themselves, depending on the patient. With their built-in survey system, these AMR continuously improve their service standards.
Not meant for the spotlight, but vital nonetheless, Techi-Linen and Laundry Carts drastically reduce the number of miles hospital staff walk daily just for linens and bedding. The Linen and Laundry AMR work behind the scenes to collect, deliver, and transport linens and bedding — making laundry simpler and less labor-intensive.
The crown jewel of the AMR team — and every hospital’s knight in shining armor — is the Techi-UVC. The UVC moves autonomously between high-contact areas, such as patient rooms, labs, and waiting areas, killing pathogens along the way. Its sleek, narrow design allows it to navigate tight spaces, and its UV technology is proven to kill 99.99% of pathogens — including COVID-19. The Techi-UVC is destined to be the star of any hospital housekeeping routine.
Easing the burden with AMR and RaaS
Hospitals are among the most demanding and dangerous workplaces in the world. The work is rewarding, but staff shortages and time spent on non-clinical tasks can be disheartening to staff who are there to care for patients. With AMR to take care of these tasks, hospital staff are protected from unnecessary HAI exposure and have more time to dedicate to patients.
TRL Systems is proud to partner with ClearFocus Innovations (CFI) to offer the Techi-Team to your healthcare facility with our unique Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) program. Contact us to learn more.
AMR developed by Techmetics Robotics; UVC delivered by American Ultraviolet.