Working in Brookstone through college I was very knowledgeable on the latest and greatest gadgets this world had to offer. One of those, ahead-of-its-time, gadgets that was sold in Brookstone over ten years ago and is just now mainstream was the Roomba from iRobot.  As a store manager, I thoroughly enjoyed the Roomba because we had a vacuum cleaner constantly sweeping the store so it kept our nightly chores down to a minimum. Now we all know the commercials... “Roomba Roomba” or ‘I’ve Robot have you.”  So when I heard the announcement today about the iRobot doctors, also know as the Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant or RP VITA were rolling out in seven hospitals, my healthcare ears and my Brookstone ears perked up at the same time! 

Robotic assisted surgery may not be a new concept but it has been something of a more costly measure in the past, which is the reason why I find the iRobot brand and healthcare an attractive partnership. iRobot has had a history of making robotic technology more affordable to the general public and hopefully, with the cost of healthcare rapidly growing,  they can pass along the same type of cost savings to the hospitals that they have in the commercial side of their business.

Very little information has being released about the RP VITA Robot, which obtained FDA approval last month but is really nothing more than a tablet with built in video that will allow doctors and patients to interact. Doctors love it because it is easy to use and it is being billed as the first robot that won’t disrupt the hospital. The cost to the hospital is between $4000-$6000 per month which includes everything needed to run the robot.

What do you think about this technology? Are you comfortable with your doctor on an RP VITA or are you just getting used to the idea of a Roomba?  Next time you are at the hospital you may be iRoboting with your doctor.