The term, robotics, is defined as the construction and operation of machines to perform a process to a degree. It is one of the largest applications of STEM and is considered one of the driving forces of innovation. The undeniable impact of its advent has been significant. In the modern era, the innovation of robotics, especially in hospitals, shows the eagerness for institutions to begin implementing robotics into their industries. According to Statista, in 2016 and 2017, there were around 700 to 800 robots in operation, but it is estimated that in 2025, the US will have 2112 medical robots. Even in the earlier years of robotics within medicine, between 1993 to 2007, the use of robots grew four times its original rate, according to an MIT statistic. Efficiency and safety is a primary area robotics can help in the workforce. A recent article from the Harvard Business Review states that in certain industries, robots can perform certain mundane and repetitive tasks nonstop and with full accuracy, tasks that workers wouldn’t have performed as well. 

With the integration of robotics in medical workplaces beginning, many companies are gaining profit, as the robotics industry is projected to be worth around $7 billion by 2028. One specific company, Intuitive Surgical Inc., focusing on clinical robotics, is worth approximately $128.05 billion. According to the Association of Packaging and Processing Technologies, pharmaceutical factories run out of labor (PPMI), most likely due to natural events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies, such as JHFOSTER, are using this as a selling point in an attempt to fill this critical need for labor production of effective products. In addition, it is estimated that the United States will lack approximately 200,000 nurses by 2031, with certain aide-related work openings increasing by 37% by 2028, further incentivizing the need for robotics in human medical workspaces.

The introduction of advanced robotics into the medical industry in the United States during the 21st century has both positively and negatively affected workspaces because it supplements the current lack of workers and procedures to be more efficient. While in repetitive medical tasks, robotics can perform without error, in complex scenarios such as surgeries, it increases the risk of machine error and raises accountability questions.

Robotic Assistance in Medical Labor Shortage:

The advancements in robotics have affected medical workspaces in many beneficial ways, a particular one being a substitute for the current labor shortage. Robotics excel in handling routine and repetitive tasks, which allows surgeons and nurses to focus on tending to the patients. According to an article from Cureus, a journal for medical science, increasing patient numbers have caused many institutions to begin implementing medical dispensing robots. The increase in automation not only alleviates the workload of the workspace but also does it more efficiently compared to humans. This allows medical workspaces to reduce their workload and the number of people within it as service can be provided faster and more efficiently. Furthermore, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a long-lasting labor shortage, especially within medical workspaces. Using robotics not only alleviates this problem but also reduces human error while separating human workers from patients to prevent direct contact and the spread of illnesses. This makes hospitals safer overall by lowering the chance for illnesses to spread. However, it does raise concern over machine error, and debates rage about which is worse. Due to their newness, there is not enough data to compare the rate of human error to machine error.

Robotic Assistance in Operations:

Another way the advancement of robotics has benefited medical workspaces in the United States during the 21st century is by making procedures more accurate and efficient. Traditionally, some operations performed by humans have high success rates, but other procedures such as Thoracic Aortic Dissection Repair, which is the repairing of a tear in the aorta are notorious for low success rates. With the innovation in robotics, medical workspaces will be able to operate more efficiently and accurately, while also reducing overall stress levels that may have been previously imparted due to incoming procedures. In the article “Robotic Surgery,”  M. Diana and Marescaux, researchers at a cancer research institute, state that innovations in medical robotics such as robotically assisted procedures and image guidance could increase safety and handle procedures through minimally invasive methods. This is corroborated by an article published by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, which mentions that the implementation of robotics within medical workspaces is necessary due to its low rates of failure in procedures such as birth giving and usefulness in hospitals with large amounts of patients. With this technology, medical workspaces can reduce traffic, operate more efficiently, and make procedures more appealing to patients due to the accuracy of the robotics, creating an overall more neutral environment.

Risk of Robotics and Liabilities:

The benefits of robotic innovation within medical workspaces are certainly not without issues. One of the most prominent questions regarding introducing robotics into the medical space is the risk of machine error and accountability if such an error occurs. According to Jérémie Guiochet, a computer science professor with an electronics Ph.D., and his colleagues, safety has become a major concern regarding medical robots. He expresses the idea that the only way robots can function efficiently while minimizing risk is with the assistance of human interaction. However, even with human assistance, the safety of robotics in medical surgeries is not without substantial risk. This is corroborated by Homa Alemzadeh, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her team. In their study investigating minimally invasive surgery, a type of surgery that is heavily reliant on robotics, they found 1391 patient injuries and 8061 robotics malfunctions. Furthermore, their study found that there were cases when parts of the machines would fail or even fall off, causing patients to reschedule their operation or request a human surgeon. 

The risk and potential problems that come with medical robotics in workspaces often lead to cloudy debates regarding liability if such failure occurs. An article from Brooklyn Law School states that the manufacturer of the machine should be held accountable unless the machine is doctor-operated, in which case both the operator and manufacturer are liable for problems that may occur. Nonetheless, the authors of an article in the Journal of Institutional Economics raise a concern, stating that due to the novelty of medical robotics within workspaces, current legal systems must be rethought to conclude liability regarding robotic-induced problems. The risk of failure and unclear liability issues concerning medical robotics within workspaces show that despite the benefits robotics may bring, there are underlying issues that may be more detrimental rather than beneficial for medical workspaces.

The implementation of robotics within human medical workspaces is inconclusive due to the benefits and disadvantages of its use. During the research process, one aspect that was lacking was the risk of human error compared to machine error. The overall lack of research regarding the juxtaposition between human and robotic risk may raise concerns over the overall safety of introducing robotics into medical workspaces. Future research should prioritize investigations into the different risks to make a more concrete baseline upon which the landscape of robotics within medical human workspaces can be built.