The Evolving Role of Robots In Aiding Our Nursing Workforce

Innovation in healthcare often emerges from necessity, and Peter, a delivery fleet robot adopted to work between wards, is a prime example. Born during the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter was created to address an urgent need for contactless delivery solutions within healthcare facilities.

Considerations Behind the Development of Peter

When designing Peter, several key factors guided the decision-making process, rooted in both the healthcare landscape and external inspiration from other industries.

1. The Challenges Emerging From the Pandemic - During the height of the pandemic, transferring items between wards became a logistical challenge. Staff needed to avoid crossing locations to prevent the spread of the virus, yet essential items still had to be delivered between different areas of the facility. Peter was born out of this necessity—a solution that allowed for safe, contactless transport of items between wards without human-to-human contact.
2. Cross-Industry Inspiration - The idea for Peter was also inspired by the use of delivery robots in restaurants, where robots began transferring food from kitchens to customer tables to reduce staff effort. This demonstrated that automation could work in environments beyond hospitality, and sparked the idea to adapt a similar technology in hospitals. This highlights the importance of staying attuned to advancements in other sectors, as innovations can often be tweaked and applied in unexpected settings to address specific challenges.
3. Cost and Speed of Deployment - Given the urgency of the situation during the pandemic, there was a need for a quick and affordable solution. Developing a robot like Peter had to strike a balance between advanced functionality and affordability, ensuring that it could be rapidly deployed without significant cost.

The Need for Peter and Its Benefits to Healthcare

While Peter originated as a response to COVID-19, its usefulness quickly became apparent in other areas of healthcare, extending its role beyond a pandemic-specific solution.

1. Streamlining Operations: During the brainstorming process, we realised that Peter could be used for more than just transferring items. Peter became instrumental in meal delivery within wards, reducing the manual labour needed for transporting meals to patients.
2. Handling Bulky Items: Peter also took on the task of transporting bulky items, which often require significant physical effort and time. This not only eased the physical burden on healthcare workers but also sped up delivery times, improving overall efficiency.
3. Improved Patient Care: With Peter taking over certain logistical duties, healthcare professionals can focus more on patient care. By reducing the time spent on non-patient-facing tasks, staff can direct their energy toward delivering higher-quality care, which ultimately contributes to a positive patient experience.
4. Safety and Infection Control: Even as COVID-19 concerns subside, infection control remains a priority in healthcare settings. Peter provides a consistent, low-contact solution for transporting items, minimising the risk of contamination or disease transmission, especially in environments where patients may have compromised immune systems.

Exploring Best Practices in Other Industries

The development of Peter serves as a reminder of the value of looking beyond one’s own industry for inspiration. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and solutions in industries like manufacturing, hospitality, and logistics can often be adapted for healthcare with some adjustments. By keeping up with the latest trends and best practices from other sectors, healthcare innovators can find new ways to address challenges within our own field.

Incorporating technologies such as automation, AI, or even environmental sensors from other industries can transform healthcare operations - driving efficiency and safety while keeping costs manageable. Staying open to such possibilities ensures that we continue evolving, always ready to implement the next big idea that will enhance patient care.

The Importance of Partnership and Collaboration

The development and deployment of Peter highlight the importance of meaningful and purposeful collaboration. From inception to deployment, partnerships with various stakeholders were crucial to ensure the success of the project:

1. Inter-departmental Collaboration: Teams across various departments came together to share insights and provide feedback on the robot’s functionality and practicality. Inputs from front-line staff helped further refine Peter to meet real-world needs within the healthcare environment.
2. Tech Partners and Developers: Working with technology partners and robotics experts was essential to ensure Peter was designed to be both user-friendly and capable of handling the diverse needs of a healthcare facility. These collaborations allowed us to create a robot that was not only functional but adaptable for future use cases.

What began as a rapid solution to a pandemic-driven problem has evolved into a permanent innovation within the healthcare industry. Peter is more than just a delivery robot; it’s a tool that has redefined efficiency, safety, and staff workload in healthcare facilities. As we continue to look for ways to innovate and improve patient care, Peter stands as a testament to how necessity, inspiration, and collaboration can lead to meaningful, lasting change.

By embracing the lessons and technologies from other industries, we can continue to push boundaries, making healthcare delivery more efficient and safer for everyone involved.

This article is written by Ms Jessica Wong, Manager at TTSH Inpatient Ops. She is dedicated to driving care transformation and enhancing care experiences for patients in TTSH.