Disruptive Operating Room Technology in 2023

Healthcare has traditionally been slow to adopt new technologies for a variety of reasons. Data privacy and security, the high cost of implementing technology, and even the question of whether digital tools have a clear benefit for patients, have caused these organizations to lag behind. Regulations and compliance rules are also hurdles to technology adoption, not to mention an aging physician population who may feel usurped by artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and clinical decision support tools.

Interestingly, COVID forced at least one big technology disruption in healthcare. Telemedicine, or virtual care through a digital screen, was a huge and necessary shift in our thinking about how we deliver patient care. Even though telemedicine has been around since the 1950s, the technology was never widely embraced. But all that changed during the pandemic. Today, Medical Economics says, “Widespread adoption and patient satisfaction with virtual care means physicians have to prepare for patients requesting video visits and other telehealth services.”

But the team at Merraine Group^® would argue that telemedicine is actually the most conservative of all the disruptive technology innovations in healthcare today. The newest operating room technology is already leveraging virtual reality to conduct surgeries, not to mention the growth of robotic-assisted procedures. AI has made its way into decision support tools, and machine learning algorithms can analyze patient population data and pinpoint proactive strategies to improve health.

This Merraine Group^® article will help you understand how modern healthcare technology is changing care delivery in operating rooms around the country.

To learn more about how Merraine can help your healthcare organization, contact us today.

How Did COVID Shift the Adoption of Modern Healthcare Technology?

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on how hospitals use technology. Some ways in which hospitals increased and adopted their use of disruptive technology innovations included:

• Telemedicine
  With many patients unable or unwilling to visit hospitals in person, telemedicine has become an increasingly important tool for providing medical care. Telemedicine uses video conferencing to bring clinicians and patients together virtually. During the pandemic, hospitals had to quickly implement telemedicine platforms and train staff on how to use them. Today, healthcare executive search teams at Merraine Group^® routinely look for candidates who with telemedicine experience and the “webside manner” to optimize these tools for patient care. The term “webside manner” became popular in the medical community during the pandemic, as many patients had to attend virtual appointments instead of in-person visits. Essentially, it’s the virtual equivalent of bedside manner..
  How’s your webside manner? Merraine Group^® exists at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Talk to our team about how we can help your professional career.
• Remote monitoring
  With many patients recovering at home, remote monitoring technology became the go-to for hospitals to keep track of patients’ vital signs, wound monitoring, and healthcare symptoms during COVID. Remote monitoring tools include a physical sensor typically worn on the body that transmits data through the internet to a clinical evaluation team. The use of these tools is expected to increase, particularly for chronic disease states. Today, one in every six Americans have at least one chronic disease that requires regular monitoring. Remote monitoring tools are also increasingly popular as commercial wearables from companies like Apple.
• EHRs
  Hospitals had to rely even more heavily on their electronic health records to keep track of patient information and share it with other providers during the pandemic. Many of these systems have partnered with patient portal systems that allow you to access test results and even communicate with doctors securely online. Hospitals scrambled during COVID to shore up these systems to ensure they are secure and accessible remotely.
• Robotics
  During COVID, autonomous robotic cleaning devices began sweeping hospitals to fight the virus without exposing healthcare workers and housekeeping staff. In a hospital setting, just cleaning a patient’s room brought incredible risk. Robotics technology was also helpful for delivering food and medicine to patients, disinfecting rooms, and helping with other routine tasks.
• Artificial intelligence
  Hospitals and public health organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used AI for contract tracing, identifying outbreaks, predicting the future spread of the disease, tracking patients, and triaging during COVID. Even before the virus hit the U.S., AI systems detected the outbreak in China.
• Mobile health
  Hospitals used mobile health (mHealth) technology to track patients, monitor their health, and keep them on top of their treatment plans during the pandemic. For example, mHealth apps helped track the contacts of people diagnosed with COVID. These same trackers can help patients report their systems to healthcare providers.

During the crisis, hospitals had to quickly adapt to new technologies and workflows to continue to provide care while keeping patients and staff safe from contracting the disease. But the COVID-19 pandemic also lit the fuse for the rise of additional disruptive technology innovations in healthcare. What are the modern healthcare technologies rising to the forefront this year?

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Disruptive Technology Innovations in Healthcare

Health system leaders now recognize they risk falling behind the rest of the world if they do not change and embrace modern healthcare technology. Some of the technologies we’ve learned to adopt extend beyond the EHR straight into operating room technology that is now more the norm than a disruptor. Merraine Group^® clients routinely use these tools to better serve their patients.

Take minimally invasive surgeries as an example. Minimally invasive surgery, also known as laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery, has revolutionized healthcare by allowing for less invasive procedures that result in less pain and scarring, shorter recovery times, and fewer complications. These procedures use small incisions and specialized instruments, such as a laparoscope or endoscope, to perform the surgery. These tiny cameras and tools allow for a more precise and controlled operation with less damage to surrounding tissue. Minimally invasive surgery is now used in a wide range of procedures, from gynecological, urological, and gastrointestinal surgeries, to orthopedic and cardiovascular procedures.

These operating room technologies are the tip of the disruptive technology innovations iceberg in the healthcare field. Several types of operating room technology tare currently being used or developed that have the potential to be disruptive, including:

• Virtual reality
• Robotic-assisted surgery
• AI and machine learning
• 3D printing

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Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is used now to provide surgeons with a realistic, immersive view of the surgical environment. This technology can:

• Change medical training by letting surgeons practice procedures before performing them on patients. It can also train medical students and residents.
• Improve physical therapy and rehabilitation after surgery, allowing patients to engage in exercises that may be difficult or impossible in the real world.
• Help patients cope with pain and anxiety by distracting them during medical procedures.
• Provide patient education before and after a surgical procedure to improve patient health outcomes.
• Allow doctors to create a detailed 3D model of a patient’s anatomy, which can help surgeons practice complex, difficult procedures before doing the real thing.

VR is a disruptive technology innovation in healthcare that will provide new and innovative ways to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate patients.

Robotic-Assisted Surgery

Robotic-assisted surgery is a minimally invasive operating room technology. These tools use a computer-controlled robotic system to assist the surgeon with complex procedures. Robotic-assisted surgery allows the doctor to perform with greater precision and control, resulting in smaller incisions, less pain, and a faster recovery for the patient. Some of the ways that robotic-assisted surgery is used to disrupt healthcare include:

• Prostate cancer surgery
  The DaVinci surgical system can perform prostatectomies, which involves removing the prostate gland and surrounding tissue.
• Gynecologic surgery
  Robotic-assisted surgery commonly helps perform hysterectomies, or the removal of the female reproductive organs. These technologies can also assist with myomectomies (fibroid removal), and more.
• Cardiac surgery
  Mitral valve repair can be performed with the use of robotics to improve patient outcomes during this complex procedure.
• Pediatric surgery
  Advanced robotic operating room technology is helpful for surgeries in children, such as ureter reimplantation or other delicate procedures.

Robotic-assisted surgery is even used today to perform general surgery. This includes gastrostomies (removal of a portion of the stomach) and colectomies (removal of part of the colon). Not only can robotic-assisted procedures offer doctors more precision and control, but the benefits to patients also include less pain, faster recovery, and fewer post-surgical complications.

AI and Machine Learning

You’ve probably heard how AI is disrupting every industry, so it should be no surprise that these computer algorithms have made their way into operating room technology. Machine learning is a subset of AI science that allows computers to “learn” from prior behaviors and alter their response accordingly. This modern healthcare technology can be used in the operating room to analyze medical images, such as MRI and CT scans, to help identify and diagnose disease. AI-assisted surgical navigation systems and robotic assistants are also becoming increasingly popular in the operating room. Some of the most innovative uses of AI in the OR also include:

• Intraoperative guidance during surgical procedures to local blood vessels or help visualize structures.
• Predictive analytics can review data from EHRs, lab test results, and other sources to predict patient outcomes, identify potential complications, and take preventative actions to improve care.
• Medical decision support offers doctors a way to make more informed choices in and out of the surgery suite. These AI software tools can provide evidence-based recommendations, identify potential treatment options, or red-flag medication reactions before they cause problems.

As a disruptive technology innovation in healthcare, AI has the potential to improve diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients long after a surgery is complete.

If you have machine learning skills, Merraine Group^® has healthcare IT roles available. Contact us.

3D printing

3D printing is modern healthcare technology impacts patients and research. 3D printing is a process of creating three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. It involves building up layers of material, such as plastic, metal, or even biological materials, to create an object. 3D printing is used in healthcare both in an out of the surgical suite in a variety of ways, including:

• Creating detailed medical models of a patient’s anatomy. These models of bones or a heart can help educate doctors before surgery.
• Building customized prosthetic limbs and implants tailored to the patient’s specific needs. 3D printing can improve the fit and function of these devices.
• Creating living structures, such as blood vessels, to help with the study of diseases, and to test new treatments.
• Designing and printing surgical instruments and implants.
• Forming custom dental prosthetics for reconstructive surgeries or even simpler procedures such as crowns or implants.

3D printing has the potential to change healthcare by providing new ways to rehabilitate and heal patients.

Disruptive Healthcare Recruiters— Merraine Group^®

Merraine Group^® provides healthcare executive search for some of the leading healthcare organizations in the United States. Our healthcare recruiters are experienced and dedicated, with a strong grasp of the industry and the challenges our clients face. We work with clinical and administrative teams as well as the c-suite to facilitate career changes, along with some of the most innovative practices in the country. Talk with our team today to find out more.

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