Robotic Assistance in the Emergency Department
Stiftung Charité
Mismanagement of patients directed to the emergency department and the resulting overcrowding lead to overburdening emergency department staff. Besides the core task of the emergency department, which is to provide care for time-critical, life-threatening health conditions and for which personnel resources must be reserved, a significant number of walk-in patients must also be acutely treated on an outpatient basis. This results in long waiting times, uncertainty, and a lack of information for patients and their families in the waiting rooms. Generally, it is expected that upon arrival at the emergency department, immediate attention from a competent and friendly nurse will be available.
However, due to staff shortages and safety reasons, patients increasingly encounter locked doors and intercom systems in the emergency department. This creates a communication deficit for patients arriving and waiting in the waiting room, which often cannot be satisfactorily compensated for during care. Additionally, there are communication and language barriers for migrants and travelers, who often use the emergency department as their primary care facility. The need for optimized registration processes and supportive communication in the emergency department, triggered by time and staff shortages and language barriers in crises, can be addressed by robotic assistance.
Watch our project video to gain an insight into this project, which was honored with the Max Rubner-Preis by the Stiftung Charité.