EWJ August 62 2025 web - Journal - Page 108
“You Cannot be Trusted
With Your Own Survival”
Robotics in the future of healthcare and why V.I.K.I. from I, Robot was right.
What are robots?
Robots take many forms, from arm-like structures
seen in factory assembly lines to humanoids built to
resemble the human form. Generally, robots have sensors that allow them to perceive their environment,
actuators that enable independent movement, and a
program that translates sensor information into actions, such as sound or movement. This autonomous
ability differentiates robots from other machines.
For clarity, robotics is the field of study, design or engineering of robots.
Adoption of robotics in healthcare
Robotics have been used in healthcare for longer than
you may think. The first documented use was in Vancouver in 1983, where a robot repositioned a patient’s
leg on voice commands from the orthopaedic surgeon. Support for robots in surgical contexts is relatively uncontroversial, as they increase precision,
reduce errors, and improve patient outcomes. Robots
don’t have hands which shake or get fatigued after
hours in theatre. Patients which undergo robotic
surgery report reduced pain and scarring compared
to traditional surgery. Indeed, in April 2025, NICE reported that 11 new orthopaedic and soft tissue robotic
procedures have been approved and are being piloted
with NHS patients in the UK.
Robots like Roomba and Alexa have become integral
parts of our everyday lives and homes. Two weeks ago,
robots even competed against humans in the first-ever
humanoid half marathon in Beijing (humans still have
the upper hand for now). And robots in various forms
are revolutionising healthcare systems all over the
world, creating new opportunities and regulatory
challenges, to ensure innovation and patient safety are
safeguarded.
Another potential use for robots is in dispensing medications. An estimated 237 million medication errors
occur in the NHS in England every year and robotics
are now being used in pharmacy settings to assist with
dispensing medications as a means of reducing (or
even eliminating) errors. At the Seventh People’s Hospital in Shanghai, for example, robots run 24 hours a
day dispensing drugs in the hospital pharmacy, drastically reducing medication errors and increasing
efficiency.
In this article we look at how robots and robotics are
currently being used in healthcare settings, and legal
issues arising from their use.
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
106
AUGUST/SEPT 2025
