Technology in the service of humanity: why service robots should support care in German hospitals and care facilities

In recent years, a worrying trend has emerged in Germany. Conditions in hospitals and care facilities are visibly deteriorating.

Patients wait for hours in the corridors until a carer finally has time to accompany them to examinations or bring them back to their room. These long waiting times are not only frustrating but also inhumane and a health concern.

Particularly affected are elderly people and patients with orientation problems, who often find it difficult to navigate the facilities' sprawling corridors.

I would like to illustrate the problem with a personal example: a friend of mine suffers from a brain tumour that severely limits his orientation. He is currently staying in a rehabilitation centre whose examination rooms are spread far across the entire building. You regularly see patients there moving around the corridors lost and confused because they cannot find the way back to their room. What were once isolated cases have meanwhile become the sad rule.

Given the increasing burden on care staff and ever scarcer resources, it is essential to find new, innovative solutions. This is exactly where service robots come into play.

Unfortunately, the use of robots in many areas is still dismissed as a gimmick. This is a major mistake that urgently needs to be corrected. Service robots are not technical gimmicks, but a necessary response to pressing problems.

They have the potential to fundamentally improve care. They can navigate autonomously through complex environments, transport materials safely and even interact with lifts. In hospitals and care facilities they could soon be a useful addition.

Service robots currently transport medication from ward to ward, but are not yet allowed to transport people, which severely limits their possible uses.

In addition, these innovative technologies are further held back by existing guidelines and standards. These requirements, originally intended for safety, often inhibit progress and the rapid implementation of new technologies. Here, change is needed so that innovations are not prevented but promoted.

The need to rethink and adapt existing regulations is urgent, so that technologies with the potential to be life-changing do not get stuck in the bureaucracy jungle.

Imagine how much more efficient everyday care would be if robots were also allowed to transport people. This would drastically shorten waiting times, serve patient welfare and relieve care staff, so that they could once again focus more on the interpersonal aspects of their work.

Service robots could be used for exactly such tasks. They are extremely easy to program, could use lifts and take over a large part of the walking routes.

We must not settle for the current status quo. Preserving dignified care now also lies in the hands of those who understand how to harness the power of technology and combine it with humanity.

Use in sensitive environments such as hospitals and care facilities requires the highest safety standards, and intensive work must be done to meet them. At the same time, however, existing regulations must be adapted and made more flexible, so as not to delay the introduction of such vital technologies unnecessarily.

In a world where care workers and medical staff often reach their limits, service robots can be a support – not as a replacement, but as a complement that makes care more human by taking over routine tasks and thus creating room for genuine human interaction.

The challenges in hospitals and care facilities are great, but they are not insurmountable. It is up to us to choose the right tools and use them wisely.

Service robots are not a luxury, but a necessity and part of the answer to meeting the growing demands in care. It is time to view this technology not just as a gimmick, but as the solution it can be.

The future of care depends on us successfully integrating and using these technologies – with technology that works, and with humanity that makes the difference.

In closing, I would like to encourage all readers to comment on this article and share their own ideas as well as experiences with shortcomings in hospitals and care facilities.

Your perspectives and suggestions are crucial to finding solutions together and improving care in Germany.