SURGICAL/CRITICAL CARE
collects dust is not useful, even though it may represent advanced technology.) We consistently focus on certain goals, which our customers share: technology that supports improved patient outcomes, that supports better experiences for patients and care teams, and, of course, technol- ogy that can lower the total cost to treat.” “So, the value may come from a reduced hos- pital stay after a certain da Vinci surgery, for example,” Wong added. “Or an earlier lung cancer diagnosis with the help of an Ion-enabled biopsy—or more surgical volume from 24/7 access to robotic surgery. It’s the value of all those goals that our customers demand.”
Jaime Wong
Technology assists, doesn’t replace The staffing crisis facing hospitals right now is a serious pain- point for most, if not all, organizations across the U.S. Asensus Surgical’s Vaughan said, “By focusing innovation on augmenting the work of clinicians – not replacing them—emerging technol- ogies can help to reduce some of the burdens of practicing med- icine that have contributed to burnout. In surgery, for instance, we may prolong the careers of some physicians through robotic platforms that minimize the cognitive and orthopedic strain of performing numerous surgeries every day. Career longevity is an increasingly important factor in the healthcare system, as nearly half of all active physicians in the U.S. will be 65 or older by 2030. In addition, by lowering the demands of the entire surgical team day-to-day, physicians and OR staff may see an increase in their overall work satisfaction and feel less burned out at the end of each day.” Intuitive Surgical’s Wong commented, “Staffing issues are in the top areas of concern for the surgical suite—and probably all areas of healthcare. Health systems are leveraging modern robotic surgery platforms and implementing alternative staff- ing approaches to help optimize OR performance and alleviate staff burden. In many cases, Intuitive has worked closely with hospitals to analyze their data, training, and workflow protocols to utilize fewer staff per procedure—often from four to three.” Wong continued, “Advanced technology in the da Vinci system
is designed to improve operational efficiency, enabling a quick start, and streamlining essential tasks. The design and structure of the da Vinci XI system, for example, is based on efficiency. The arms are mounted to a boom, which can rotate to many angles over the patients—without having to move the base. This enables effective four-quadrant access, and, when using Integrated Table Motion, surgeons can reposition the patient to optimize access, exposure, and reach without stopping a procedure. The da Vinci XI system also contains a fully integrated endoscope, which requires no set-up, and surgeons can flip the endoscope view 30 degrees up and down with the press of a button. This gives the surgeon complete control over the camera.” “In addition, a digitally connected ecosystem may support
enhanced capabilities, intraoperative collaboration, and person- alized learning that supports efficiency. Integrated intelligence can illuminate insights within OR data to potentially streamline instrument usage, OR efficiency, and staffing models,” Wong added. “As one example, data can help users analyze and under- stand the demand for robotic procedures—everything from the number and length of cases, to the instruments used during procedures to help align staffing resources.”
Cyber concerns Stories of medical devices getting hacked are released almost every day in the news. Luckily, industry experts are prepared. Asensus Surgical’s Vaughan said, “Our team is dedicated to
ensuring that the deployment of these technologies is done in a manner that addresses the concerns of clinicians, hospital administration, as well as the patients. Our process takes all of these stakeholders into account, and we use independent third- party reviews and testing to ensure that we are not putting data or devices at risk.” As for cybersecurity concerns, Getinge’s Meevis commented,
“Having a quality cybersecurity incident-response plan can unquestionably offset any worry. It comes down to product design and being prepared for moments like that. At Getinge, we take cybersecurity and privacy very seriously—for our com- pany and our clients. Since last year, we’ve implemented more mandatory training for employees, to reiterate the importance of privacy and cybersecurity. The goal is to help familiarize them with the various tools and resources in place to assist them in handling cyber-related scenarios with customers and our digital solutions. So, while there is always going to be some worry with advanced technologies, it comes down to the education and resources available, as well as planning ahead to help reassure any customer on their concerns.”
The future is bright
“The future is unpredictable, but if there is anything the health- care industry has learned over the last few years, it is always changing and evolving,” noted Getinge’s Meevis. “I think the future in this space will always focus on prioritizing and improv- ing patient care and optimizing workflows to make that possible. That’s consistent across any specialty or area in healthcare. While unpredictable, the future is bright in this space because there is certainly no shortage of innovation and the need for life-changing technologies to help save people’s lives. At Getinge, we pride ourselves on the people within our organization that have for- ward-thinking attitudes that assist in the development of these innovative ideas that will surely change the game of healthcare in this space for years to come.” Intuitive Surgical’s Wong said, “For hospitals, the data is already revealing the strengths and opportunities of their respec- tive robotic-assisted practices because they can compare it to non-robotic options to see the value areas. Even the operating room choreography can get mapped and optimized with data analysis, and that could lead toward smoother and more effi- cient operative workflows. It’s one thing to understand which sets of procedure data are relevant; it’s another to take what’s meaningful and build predictive tools that are truly useful in the OR and help support better patient care.” He continued, “The impactful application is aimed at building tools that surround the surgeon with information that gives them real-time feedback to support their surgery, their teams, and their patients. AI and machine learning will drive real-time insights based on video-analysis technologies. For example, the system could see how a surgeon sutures two vessels together and advise the surgeon of the probability of an anastomotic leak by comparing what it saw in thousands of other similar procedures. That kind of real-time guidance could help translate into better outcomes. AI won’t displace clinical decision-making, but could better inform it.” Asensus Surgical’s Vaughan concluded, “Intelligence-backed surgery, or Performance-Guided Surgery, is the future of surgery. Innovation in robotics has long focused on the robot itself, but a shift toward the software powering the robot—including, AI, machine learning, etc.—is opening new pathways to reducing the cognitive and physical burden on surgeons. Against the backdrop of a physician shortage that is only growing more severe, we must continue to develop solutions that support career longevity for our surgeons.” HPN
hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • August 2023 17
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