Robots in healthcare assist with everything from surgery to supply delivery. This article takes a fairly broad view of what constitutes a robot but each of the innovations is designed to improve care, do things that couldn’t be done before, or improve efficiency.
The Aethon TUG robot was featured in this article from Information Week and the author described the labor savings and efficiency benefits that accrue to the hospitals who use them:
The Aethon TUG is an automated system that allows a facility to move supplies such as medication, linens and food from one space to another. The robot moves through hospital corridors, elevators and departments at any time during the day to make either scheduled or on-demand deliveries. End users can attach the system to a variety of hospital carts to transport supplies and it can be employed for a variety of applications. According to the company, the system allows for increased productivity since it “doesn’t get distracted while making a delivery, allowing it to accomplish more in less time.”
Additionally, the robot offers “sound ROI,” according to Aethon. In a 300-bed facility, for example, an estimated $4 million is spent annually on the task of pushing carts. According to the company, one TUG robot working two shifts every day of the week saves the labor of nearly three full-time employees, yet costs less than one full-time employee.
The entire article written by Michelle McNickle can be found here.
