VA’s early uses of robots have shown mixed success, but excitement remains

Early uses of robots across VA hospitals have highlighted the promises and drawbacks of the technologies, but they have also shown the capabilities these tools can offer clinicians, according to Acting Chief Innovation Officer Beth Ripley.

LAS VEGAS — It may sound like science fiction, but robots are beginning to play a role in the delivery of healthcare services across the U.S. 

Within the Department of Veterans Affairs’ network of medical facilities, clinicians and providers have started to use these technologies to automate some of their daily tasks. Although the actual benefits provided by these robots have been mixed, frontline providers and others across VA’s medical system have reportedly been supportive of further adoption of these assistive tools.

During a Monday session at the HIMSS conference in Las Vegas, Beth Ripley — acting chief innovation officer in VA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning — said the conventional thinking about ...