St. Luke’s Heath System in Kansas City has introduced two robots named Moxi to assist with basic tasks around the hospital. While the sight of the robots may draw some attention from patients, hospital administrators are finding them to be a valuable addition to their workforce. The robots have been in use for nearly a month and are currently being programmed to deliver prescription medicines from the pharmacy to nurses’ stations. They have a secure drawer where items for delivery can be stored.
The use of robots at St. Luke’s is aimed at improving efficiency and saving nurses time. Hospital staff have reported that the robots are saving them approximately 30% of their work day, enabling them to dedicate more time to patient care. Chuck Welch, one of the hospital’s nursing managers, emphasized the importance of leveraging technology to address staffing challenges in the healthcare industry.
Despite their helpfulness, the robots are not intended to replace human employees. Moxi is being used solely for tasks like delivering and retrieving items for the staff. In just three weeks, the robot has already completed 500 deliveries, according to St. Luke’s leaders. The presence of the robots also aims to alleviate the shortage of pharmacy technicians, allowing the current staff to have some relief.
St. Luke’s managers are still in the process of evaluating the best ways to utilize this new technology. They believe that the robots can assist employees in focusing on more important tasks, while the mundane ones can be handled by the robots.
Overall, the use of robots at St. Luke’s Hospital showcases how healthcare institutions can leverage technology to improve efficiency and free up valuable time for healthcare professionals to better serve their patients.
Definitions:
– Robotics: The branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, and operation of robots.
– Efficiency: The ability to accomplish a task with the least amount of wasted time, effort, or resources.
Source: Kansas City Fox4 (No URL provided)