With pressure mounting on healthcare services worldwide and the lack of quality care available, the time has come for innovation within the industry that propels its ability to treat, care, and educate into a digital future. Indeed, according to some experts, we have just scratched the surface of what is possible with VR, which is only being used at about 5% of its potential use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefits of VR in healthcare have been well publicized and keenly felt, and the maturation of the technology has opened doors to its application in several areas in the field, including training and educating the next generation of professionals. With VR, healthcare providers can traverse borders to provide massively improved patient outcomes and revolutionize their ability to provide access to highly accurate and super-immersive training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firstly, it is important to note the difference between the application of virtual reality in medicine as opposed to its use as a source of entertainment. Despite the vast supporting data and positive outcomes, there is still a stigma among many practitioners surrounding the use of AR and VR technology in healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether training new doctors or providing mental health care, the list of applications is growing as we discover new ways of evolving the partnership between human knowledge, intuition, and technology. VR is not meant to replace the human element of treatment but rather to add another dimension to the way that patients can communicate and receive care. VR applications in healthcare are twofold:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Healthcare professionals use an array of VR-driven medical systems to offer superior, more personalized patient care. With their ease of use and incredible processing, these systems give practitioners the potential to deliver more effective and efficient treatment. This will save institutions valuable resources while enhancing their ability to simulate real word scenarios that provide even greater insights into patient concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dramatically improved patient care is a cornerstone of the VR revolution in medicine, with even more potential for greater comfort and immersive experiences. This extends anywhere from pain management to treatment for children, mental health, and psychological therapy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The health industry is innovating in hugely exciting ways for VR to assist patients and healthcare professionals in improving treatments and outcomes, including surgery, pain management, physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and mental health, among others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
VR applications in healthcare are used for many purposes and allow surgeons to examine a patient before a procedure virtually, medical staff to train in life-like simulations and support virtual sensory tests for patients with muscle weakness. It also generates empathy among healthcare providers by simulating their patients’ conditions. The current technology can be deployed in three ways, but hardware is constantly evolving, and there may soon be even more ways to access and interact with simulated environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Headsets like the Oculus Rift (Oculus medical simulation), HTC Vive, Gear VR, or Google Cardboard are attached via straps to the user\u2019s head, with the lenses and earphones attached to it. These types of head-mounted displays offer an immersive virtual reality experience where objects are placed before the user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smart glasses empower doctors to perform medical procedures and diagnose with higher accuracy, improving clinical outcomes and quality of care. Google Glass, for example, is used during surgical procedures for video recording, data visualization, and patient information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These gloves are designed to enable users to interact with their virtual environments. Among the latest developments in VR technology, they have already shown they have the potential to contribute to the healthcare industry in myriad ways. This includes Virtual Reality simulations in healthcare education, where they can create a more immersive and practical training experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether it is facilitating superior rehabilitation therapies, improving surgeons’ ability to perform complex procedures, or ensuring the efficient management of patient information and backroom processes, VR is shaping the future of healthcare in several ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Virtual reality is at the forefront of the broader evolution of communication in technology. The driving force behind it is the total immersion of human sensorimotor functions into a tangible, borderless communication experience. Primarily focused on this communication of medical information, VR enhances the patient-doctor relationship this function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
VR in healthcare industry experts agree it can be used to create a far more intuitive method of interacting with this type of information and as a malleable environment that heightens the feeling of physical presence in consultations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The application and success of VR in medicine have been chiefly seen in surgery, and its ability to train surgeons to complete complex procedures makes it one of the most exciting fields for future development. It also allows surgeons, prospective or practicing, to improve their accuracy and motor skills, thus reducing the possible risk of errors and post-operative complications that may occur. Regarding surgery, Virtual Reality in healthcare education is an aspect of the field that is ripe for evolution and has the capacity to pass on and perfect techniques that increase the quality of healthcare worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prevalence of VR in the surgical field may even forge a path toward a future where healthcare professionals can deploy AI-powered robotics to assist with more complex surgeries by controlling and managing them from a distance. Indeed, IT integration into surgical planning can create a 3D \u201cdigital twin\u201d of the body, allowing physicians to analyze and compare cases from various perspectives and find the optimal way to operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AR and VR technology in healthcare also benefits pediatrics and childcare by providing an immersive distraction from any pain, and this application can be used across many treatments, removing fear and anxiety. They also play a significant role in socializing children with autism and improving their communication skills with gamified activities that promote connection, calming techniques, and deploy situational learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has already made big strides in treating autism in thousands of children worldwide with excellent results, and the future is bright indeed for the field with the introduction of mixed reality. Additionally, the ability to administer these treatments remotely and without the traditional office-based setting means borderless and travel-free care is available to those in need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With VR and AR in healthcare, pain relief will become far more intuitive, and even though pain levels may vary in complexity, the underlying principles for their treatment remain the same. After the initial identification of problem nerves and medication is prescribed, VR can further boost their efficacy. It is a highly effective method for pain relief, but even as an adjunctive solution, it has incredible potential to increase the potency of other treatments as well. It also means far less reliance on medication and thus decreasing the cost of ongoing treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is far more than a simple distraction from pain, VR dominates the brain’s attention in a highly sophisticated way, creating a feeling of total relaxation within an interactive environment that provides immersion that keeps pain stimuli at bay. In fact, pain scores can be reduced by up to 50% with VR. <\/p>\n\n\n\n