Keeping Human in the Loop!

"The robot will always be a slave to the doctor..." This is one of the highlights of our official educational visit to the Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru.?

During our semester on Privacy in Healthcare, our class (a small cohort of students) has been studying the field of health tech, understanding different areas of regulation, and connecting dots with the impact on privacy! While we were studying AI and robotics in healthcare, we saw how the combination of AI with robotics will work wonders in healthcare, but again, we also wanted to evaluate the different challenges the use of such robots may bring.?

For a better understanding of the technology, and for a fun experience with the class, we were able to get an appointment at Manipal Hospital to see their robot - Da Vinci! Please find below our top 3 highlights from the visit:?

??Innovation - Surgery automation is a much-needed application, especially in light of the overburdened health infrastructure in India. We were given the chance to meet with surgeons who were involved in robotic surgeries and it was amazing to hear how such technology will allow doctors to work more effectively. The significance of steady hands was emphasized by the surgeons who explained how the use of robots will enable senior doctors to continue working despite physical limitations. The benefits for patients were also discussed where the surgeons mentioned the reduction in tissue damage and loss of blood in the use of robotics in surgery. The use of robotics therefore causes lesser physical pain and also helps patients in faster recovery.??

??Human in Loop – While discussing the level of transparency in the new technology being used, we witnessed how the doctors and surgeons strongly believed in having a human in the loop always. When addressing the question of over-reliance on robots by doctors, it was discussed how doctors are extensively trained in the use of robotics and that they perceive robotics as mere tools in their tasks. We however did discuss how other forms of health tech, such as medical imaging, use AI models and the lack of transparency and explainability in the same.??

??Reforming Patient Experience – We also met the legal team at the hospital which gave us the opportunity to discuss the personal information management system and practices in healthcare. Upon discussing the validity of consent in healthcare, particularly keeping in mind the state of vulnerability of patients, it was enlightening to know how the industry is adapting to the new personal data protection laws. We discussed the practicalities of legal provisions around data mapping, data classification (sensitive data vs non-sensitive data), ROPA, data retention and deletion, and consent collection.?

It was indeed a great experience to meet with the stakeholders in the healthcare sector. We are thankful to Manipal Hospital for this opportunity for us to witness Da Vinci in action!?

Author - Ms. Yashu Bansal