Talk about digital technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, is hard to escape right now, with its potential uses and opportunities versus its limitations and perceived threats being widely debated for almost every sphere of our lives.
We have been discussing for a while the potential benefits and limitations of digital technologies in healthcare, for example, electronic records, virtual wards, smart wearable devices and, increasingly, apps.
Recently, it feels as if there has been real momentum behind involving nurses far more in their design and implementation, which is vital to its future success.
“We know that nurses are already heavily involved in its use and development and that is why AI is the focus of our annual edition devoted to digital technology in nursing”
But the new kids I mentioned at the start are arriving on the digital block and grabbing attention. For example, there are the penguin robots, named Milton by staff, which are being trialled at Milton Keynes University Hospital to take medicines from hospital pharmacies directly to the wards.
The technology that has really got the media and politicians excited though is AI. Nearly every day seems to bring another headline about its perceived benefits for the health sector, be it saving staff time, improving screening accuracy or supporting student education.
A quick trawl of the latest headlines reveals that it could potentially make brain surgery safer at University College London and detect sight-threatening illnesses at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
In June, the government announced a £21m pot of ringfenced funding that trusts are able to bid for to accelerate the “deployment of the most promising AI tools”.
We know that nurses are already heavily involved in its use and development and that is why AI is the focus of our annual edition devoted to digital technology in nursing.
The clinical section looks at examples of AI being positively introduced into both nursing practice and nurse education.
Meanwhile, we have spoken to nurses, of different levels of experience and seniority, to find out what they think about not just AI, but robotics and other digital technology.
We have also interviewed senior nurses involved in the digital agenda at an international level to gauge the global picture.
While it is unlikely that AI and other digital technologies represent the silver bullet they are sometimes hyped as being, they do have exciting potential to support nursing staff in many ways and should be accepted as a new tool in the healthcare armoury.
