{"id":4061,"date":"2025-04-17T20:20:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T20:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/?p=4061"},"modified":"2025-04-17T20:20:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T20:20:45","slug":"the-surge-of-surgical-robotics-why-patient-education-matters-more-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/2025\/04\/17\/the-surge-of-surgical-robotics-why-patient-education-matters-more-than-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"The Surge of Surgical Robotics: Why Patient Education Matters More Than Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emily McCabe<\/strong>, 2024-25 RPW Center Graduate Student Fellow. This year\u2019s group is exploring the theme of Emerging Technologies in Human Context: Past, Present, and Future.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"AdvancedIf you\u2019ve ever wondered about the role of robots in surgery, you\u2019re not alone. \u201cWill you be in the room while the robot performs my surgery?\u201d is an all-too-common question. For those of us working in the field of minimally invasive and robotic surgery, this reflects a larger issue: a significant gap in public understanding.<\/p>\n

While surgery has evolved dramatically over millennia, the most exciting advancements have come in just the past two decades. In 2020 alone, there were 1.24 million robotic surgeries, with that number growing by 15% each year [1]. As this technology becomes more prevalent, it\u2019s crucial for patients to be well-informed to make educated decisions
\nabout their care.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s a significant disconnect. A 2020 study revealed that 88% of people mistakenly believe that robotic surgeries are autonomous [2]. A more recent 2022 study found that public knowledge of robotic surgery is at a mere 4 out of 10 [3]. This confusion is a global issue and seems to be more pronounced among individuals with lower education levels. When facing a stressful diagnosis like cancer, patients often experience \u201cattention narrowing,\u201d focusing intensely on one aspect of their diagnosis while struggling to absorb additional information. Furthermore, \u201cstate-dependent memory\u201d means that information learned in one state of mind may be hard to recall later.<\/p>\n

To combat these challenges, strategies like note-taking, recording medical visits, and involving support persons can help, but they place a significant burden on the patient. We\u2019ve seen that visual aids during medical appointments can improve comprehension, especially for those with lower literacy levels. Sharing educational materials digitally has
\nalso shown promise.<\/p>\n

As a Graduate Theme Fellow, I am excited to explore these issues with a fresh and diverse perspective. We\u2019ve conducted early-stage interviews with cancer patients who underwent robotic surgery and explored their experiences with patient-provider communication and education. These interviews revealed not only the current hurdles in understanding surgical robotics but also offered valuable insights for improving patient education methods.<\/p>\n

We found that while existing educational tools have their merits, there\u2019s room for enhancement. For instance, integrating visual aids more effectively and leveraging digital resources could bridge some of the gaps in knowledge. Our goal is to shine a light on these issues and advocate for better communication strategies that empower patients with the information they need to feel confident and informed.<\/p>\n

In summary, as robotic surgery continues to advance, so must our approach to patient education. By addressing misconceptions and improving how we share information, we can ensure that patients are not just passive recipients of care but active participants in their health journey.<\/p>\n

[1] A. Mehta, J. Cheng Ng, W. Andrew Awuah, H. Huang, J. Kalmanovich, A. Agrawal, T. Abdul-Rahman, M. M. Hasan, V. Sikora, and A. Isik, \u201cEmbracing robotic surgery in low- and middle-income countries: Potential benefits, challenges, and scope in the future,\u201d Annals of Medicine and Surgery, vol. 84, 12 2022.<\/p>\n

[2] B. Stai, N. Heller, S. Mcsweeney, J. Rickman, P. Blake, R. Vasdev, Z. Edgerton, R. Tejpaul, M. Peterson, J. Rosenberg, A. Kalapara, S. Regmi, N. Papanikolopoulos, and C. Weight, \u201cPublic Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Medicine.\u201d 2020<\/p>\n

[3] S. Arshad, G. Brar, S. Xu, N. Ramesh, K. Talajia, M. Anwar, and A. Ter Wal, \u201c222 Robotic Surgery: Public Perceptions and Current Misconceptions.\u201d 2022<\/p>\n

[4] R. F. Algethami, M. F. Alotbi, A. I. Alsulaimani, L. M. Alkhaldi, Z. A. Alhossaini, and K. M. Alzahrani, \u201cAssessment of knowledge and awareness regarding Robotics-Assisted Surgery (RAS) among Saudi population: A cross sectional study,\u201d 2023.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"Emily McCabe\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>is in her fourth year of her PhD in the Medical Engineering & Discovery Laboratory. Her research on minimally invasive surgical robots leverages variable stiffness and steerable needle technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Outside of the lab, Emily\u2019s work seeks to improve patient education, develop professional skills in engineers, and engage more girls in STEM through K-12 outreach. Towards this year\u2019s theme, Emily is exploring how to improve the public understanding of surgical robots.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Emily McCabe, 2024-25 RPW Center Graduate Student Fellow. This year\u2019s group is exploring the theme of Emerging Technologies in Human Context: Past, Present, and Future. If you\u2019ve ever wondered about the role of robots in surgery, you\u2019re not alone. \u201cWill you be in the room while the robot performs my surgery?\u201d is an all-too-common question….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":4063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cdn.vanderbilt.edu\/vu-cas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/25\/2025\/04\/17201955\/Untitled-41.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4061"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4064,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4061\/revisions\/4064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/as.vanderbilt.edu\/robert-penn-warren-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}