Marketing Robots

In a new study, researchers searched “online information from 432 hospitals across the country and found nearly half marketed robotic surgery for gynecologic conditions such as endometriosis or cervical cancer. A quarter of those hospitals used boilerplate copy from the robot manufacturer Intuitive Surgical”.  Wow.  Who cares about proof when you are trying to show off, I guess.  The study also found that one in six told consumers that “you owe it to yourself.”  Why and what do they owe to themselves?    I think technology is great but there has to be a delicate balance between the science with the art of medicine.   Right now robot technology is in its early stages and with some problems.  Oh yeah, the study also showed that “almost none mentioned potential downsides to the technology such as increased operating time or higher cost compared with conventional types of surgery.”  Scary.  Now check out the Hospital Robot Wars parody I did a while back on this blog but years ago in the Placebo Journal.  Nostradougus strikes again.