Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.

Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 24 occupations and seen in 36 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Operate medical equipment. in Controlling Machines and Processes .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 36 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 12 (33%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

The Anthropic Economic Index observes real AI use on 1 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.003% per task.

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Administer prescribed doses of radiation to specific body parts, using radiation therapy equipment according to established practices and standards. · Radiation Therapists · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Measure and record lens power, using lensometers. · Ophthalmic Medical Technicians · importance 4.9 · exposure with tools
• Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress testing, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments. · Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.8 · exposure with tools
• Administer hearing or speech and language evaluations, tests, or examinations to patients to collect information on type and degree of impairments, using written or oral tests or special instruments. · Speech-Language Pathologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Set up, program, or record montages or electrical combinations when testing peripheral nerve, spinal cord, subcortical, or cortical responses. · Neurodiagnostic Technologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease. · Dental Hygienists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Administer hearing tests and examine patients to collect information on type and degree of impairment, using specialized instruments and electronic equipment. · Audiologists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Examine teeth, gums, and related tissues, using dental instruments, x-rays, or other diagnostic equipment, to evaluate dental health, diagnose diseases or abnormalities, and plan appropriate treatments. · Dentists, General · importance 4.8 · exposure with tools
• Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment. · Respiratory Therapists · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication. · Athletic Trainers · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Maintain an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment. · Surgical Assistants · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Treat lower urinary tract dysfunctions using equipment such as diathermy machines, catheters, cystoscopes, or radium emanation tubes. · Urologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Operate, assemble, adjust, or monitor sterilizers, lights, suction machines, or diagnostic equipment to ensure proper operation. · Surgical Technologists · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Use dental air turbines, hand instruments, dental appliances, or surgical implements. · Dentists, General · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Perform basic screening procedures, such as pure tone screening, otoacoustic screening, immittance screening, and screening of ear canal status using otoscope. · Hearing Aid Specialists · importance 4.7 · exposure with tools
• Set up, operate, or monitor invasive equipment and devices, such as colostomy or tracheotomy equipment, mechanical ventilators, catheters, gastrointestinal tubes, and central lines. · Acute Care Nurses · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Determine clients' current lens prescriptions, when necessary, using lensometers or lens analyzers and clients' eyeglasses. · Opticians, Dispensing · importance 4.6 · exposure with tools
• Attach electrodes to the patients' chests, arms, and legs, connect electrodes to leads from the electrocardiogram (EKG) machine, and operate the EKG machine to obtain a reading. · Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.6 · exposure with tools
• Measure and record lens power, using lensometers. · Ophthalmic Medical Technologists · importance 4.6 · exposure with tools
• Clamp, ligate, or cauterize blood vessels to control bleeding during surgical entry, using hemostatic clamps, suture ligatures, or electrocautery equipment. · Surgical Assistants · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Set up and monitor medical equipment and devices such as cardiac monitors, mechanical ventilators and alarms, oxygen delivery devices, transducers, or pressure lines. · Critical Care Nurses · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Insert peripheral or central intravenous catheters. · Nurse Anesthetists · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Take and record measures of patients' physical condition, using devices such as thermometers or blood pressure gauges. · Psychiatric Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Remove diseased tissue, using surgical instruments. · Dentists, General · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Assess refractive condition of eyes, using retinoscope. · Ophthalmic Medical Technologists · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Assemble and use equipment, such as catheters, tracheotomy tubes, or oxygen suppliers. · Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Set up 24-hour Holter and event monitors, scan and interpret tapes, and report results to physicians. · Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Perform approved therapeutic or diagnostic procedures, based upon patients' clinical status. · Critical Care Nurses · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Connect physiological leads to physiological acquisition control (PAC) units. · Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Assess refractive conditions of eyes, using retinoscopes. · Ophthalmic Medical Technicians · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Conduct stress tests, using electrocardiograph (EKG) machines. · Exercise Physiologists · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Administer treatment involving application of physical agents, using equipment, moist packs, ultraviolet or infrared lamps, or ultrasound machines. · Physical Therapists · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Measure oxygen consumption or lung functioning, using spirometers. · Exercise Physiologists · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Conduct electrocardiogram (EKG), phonocardiogram, echocardiogram, or other cardiovascular tests to record patients' cardiac activity, using specialized electronic test equipment, recording devices, or laboratory instruments. · Cardiologists · exposure with tools
• Conduct tests of the pulmonary system, using a spirometer or other respiratory testing equipment. · Cardiologists · no direct exposure
• Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments. · Paramedics · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Radiation Therapists
• Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Neurodiagnostic Technologists
• Dental Hygienists
• Dentists, General
• Respiratory Therapists
• Audiologists
• Athletic Trainers
• Urologists
• Surgical Assistants
• Surgical Technologists
• Hearing Aid Specialists
• Acute Care Nurses
• Opticians, Dispensing
• Nurse Anesthetists
• Psychiatric Technicians
• Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists
• Exercise Physiologists
• Physical Therapists
• Cardiologists
• Paramedics

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-operate-diagnostic-or-therapeutic-medical-instruments-or-equipment,
  title  = {Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/operate-diagnostic-or-therapeutic-medical-instruments-or-equipment}
}