Global media attention is being drawn to the Sheba Medical Centre in Tel Aviv, Israel, a cutting-edge smart hospital that is revolutionising the healthcare industry through its pioneering use of advanced technologies.
With its ground-breaking application of AI technology and robotics, Sheba has earned a reputation as a game-changer in the field.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently sought treatment at the centre, experiencing first-hand the hospital’s exceptional capabilities when he was treated for dehydration.
As the largest hospital in Israel, Sheba Medical Centre holds a visionary approach to healthcare on a global scale. By combining clinical excellence, medical innovation, and fostering international collaboration, it aims to provide powerful resources to benefit patients worldwide.
The hospital continues to push the boundaries of medical innovation. Recently, a group of physician-entrepreneurs based at Sheba created a ground-breaking AI-driven product capable of instantly diagnosing cardiac issues. This medical advancement was lauded by The Times of Israel, which highlighted its potential to make a life-saving difference.
Known as AISAP (AI-Integrated Scanning for Acute Problems), this real-time scanner utilises AI to provide immediate results and can seamlessly integrate with any POCUS (Point-of-Care Ultrasound) device. The implementation of AISAP has been so transformative that The Times of Israel referred to it as turning POCUS into POCAD (Point-of-Care Assisted Diagnosis). This breakthrough technology is set to redefine the diagnostic landscape and improve patient outcomes significantly.
Meanwhile, The Sun reported from inside the hospital, focusing on a paediatric patient who was being monitored by a ‘state-of-the-art £60,000 robot that doctors use to check on him regularly – ‘even if they are miles away at home’.
Dr Evyatar Hubara and Dr Amir Vardi shared stories of how they care for patients remotely by accessing and assessing data collected via a robot – ‘a powerful tool’ that can act ‘as a first response in a potential emergency’ – and also communicate with patients via the robot if needs be, appearing via a screen to talk to them from his home.
The pioneering hospital was ranked by Newsweek magazine in its prestigious list of the Top 10 Hospitals Worldwide three years running and has been named one of the best smart hospitals and a leader in gastroenterology, neurology and cardiology.
Meanwhile, the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is keeping pace with the fast-changing technology has just released Robotic-assisted surgery: A pathway to the future, its new standards and guidance on robotic-assisted surgery (RAS).
Designed to address the challenges and the promises of RAS, the guide provides recommendations on safe adoption and sustainable expansion and includes pointers on how to integrate RAS into surgical services, as well as an outline of the roles and responsibilities of all key stakeholders, including hospitals, surgeons, proctors, robotic companies and regulators.
The publication comes at the same time as the technology company, Intuitive, further cements its support for the RCS England via a new multi-professional network designed to help shape the future development of RAS surgery.
The collaboration will help RCS England’s work to review and develop the evidence base for the use of robotics and ensure RAS training enables improved patient outcomes.
Professor Neil Mortensen, Immediate Past President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: ‘Robotics is here to stay – and we need to leverage this technology and increase take-up where this supports the best quality patient care.
‘Robotic-assisted surgery is not part of the future of surgery; this shift is already occurring. It is the here and now, and when used appropriately, can help surgeons to conduct procedures more precisely and enable patients to recover quicker.’
The College has developed dedicated robotics e-learning and incorporates robotics into its Learning offer. It has accredited multiple surgical training centres providing robotic and minimally invasive surgery training and approved a number of Senior Clinical Fellowships with a robotic training element hosted within UK hospitals. In October 2022, the College accredited Intuitive’s entire global education portfolio.
