What is the impact of robotics in medical malpractice?

Being harmed by a medical professional or surgeon simplifies your job in pointing out who is responsible in a case of medical malpractice. However, things get more complicated when your injuries are the fault of a surgical robot.

Though technological advances create amazing medical opportunities that promote health and healing, patients need to know their options when a robotic device creates harm or damage to a patient.

Technology testing around the world

Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize the medical industry. Operating according to programming and limitations, these machines do not have the capability to commit human errors. Hospitals around the world employ medical robots as surgical assistance, but as technology continues to advance, there is the expectation that these robots will perform surgeries without the assistance of a human surgeon.

In England, an artificial intelligence system is already in use on cardiology patients, with the early results suggesting the AI machine outperforms the performance of cardiologists in reading and assessing chest scans. Another AI system works to detect skin cancers while another evaluates eye conditions that lead to childhood blindness.

Medical liability

Though not a human element, AI machines working on behalf of a hospital establish legal liability for the institution. Hospitals and medical centers assume the liabilities of errors made by staff, while physicians and other practitioners also maintain medical malpractice liability. AI systems require human involvement for programming and monitoring, potentially extending liabilities to third parties.

Medical malpractice is a serious event that jeopardizes personal health and normal functioning. While robotics serves to better the medical industry, these advances complicate matters of patient injury or death.