Do you ever think that you may lie in a hospital bed and swim with whales in the ocean? Have you ever thought about turning 74 while still in your 20s? Maybe watch a risky procedure from your couch? Yes, it is possible. For the greatest enjoyment of patients and physicians alike, virtual reality began its amazing takeover of the healthcare industry.
Virtual reality in medicine has some exciting potential. It has sparked the imaginations of clinical researchers and medical professionals in acquiring science fiction readers. There are more examples of VR improving patients’ lives than ever before, even though the technology is still in its infancy.
Here are five outstanding examples of how medical VR changes patient lives and how doctors practice.
- The sensation of holding a scalpel during an operation
Have you ever wondered what takes place in an operating room?
What are those medical professionals—doctors and nurses—doing, wearing masks clad in blue or green?
Since Dr. Shafi Ahmed performed the first VR operation in 2016, which anybody could watch live in real time, VR has advanced to allow more than just passively seeing an operation from the surgeon’s perspective. With technology, doctors may now perform procedures and train future surgeons.
Businesses like Osso VR and Immersive Touch offer virtual reality solutions to train surgeons and hone their skills. It has been established that these are superior to conventional training techniques. Recent research from the Harvard Business Review found that surgeons who received VR training outperformed those who received traditional training by 230 percent. Additionally, the former was quicker and more precise when executing surgical procedures.
Virtual reality could completely transform the experience of teaching and learning in medicine. Very few students have the opportunity to watch a surgeon operate, making it difficult to pick up insider knowledge. With the aid of a virtual reality camera, surgeons may transmit surgeries to viewers worldwide, allowing medical students to enter the operating room virtually. Human anatomy is already being taught to medical students at Case Western University utilizing tools like the HoloLens without cadavers (albeit using the slightly different Mixed Reality technology). In my opinion, such examples will soon become commonplace as VR holds immense promise for transforming medical education and training.
- Relaxing Patients with Medical VR
Have you ever felt like time stops in the hospital, that there is nothing to do, that you miss your loved ones, and that you are constantly anxious about your health?
It is understandably difficult for anyone to deal with hospital anxiety, ongoing anxiety about surgery, and the actual discomfort one can experience during or after a procedure. VR is an engaging way to let patients unwind and experience such scenarios with less suffering.
In recent pilot research, patients at St. George’s Hospital in London who were having surgery had the opportunity to utilize a VR headset before and during the treatment to view soothing landscapes. According to 100% of participants, wearing the headset improved their overall hospital experience, and 94% stated it made them feel more at ease. In addition, 80% of users reported reduced pain, and 73% reported less anxiety after using the headset.
Additionally, VR is being utilized to assist women in coping with labor pain, one of the worst types of pain and the main reason pregnant women choose epidural anesthesia.
For people who want to give birth naturally but don’t want to worry about a problematic procedure, VR is a good alternative. Previous research on patients with gastrointestinal, cardiac, neurological, and post-surgical pain showed a decrease in their pain levels when employing virtual reality to divert them from painful stimuli.
- “Real Conferences with Virtual Reality for an Enhanced Experience”
Medical and healthcare conferences may be incredibly boring, as you’ve probably experienced and I can attest to. These conferences could use a technological upgrade, what with the evident lack of audience interaction, the boring presentation images, and the all-too-common bullet points. I compiled five ways technology that might enhance medical conferences, and virtual reality is one of them.
Although seeing a presenter and their audience wearing VR headsets on their faces is amusing, the image is now a reality. A strong supporter of virtual reality in medicine, Dr. Brennan Spiegel delivered the complete #MedEd lecture in VR. Furthermore, he has been presenting at the annual Virtual Medicine conference while utilizing this technology. It’s fascinating to think about such a presentation, so consider going to one! With interactive VR capabilities such as 3D visualization and gamification, the level of audience participation and conference quality can skyrocket.
- Assisting Physicians in Experiencing Life as a Senior or Elderly
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to get older? How would it feel if you couldn’t raise your hand above your head? How does it feel to recover from a heart attack or lose one of your fingers? One of the skills required to become a doctor is empathy, and seeing such scenarios through VR can assist medical students and young doctors in acquiring this quality.
This idea was tested by the University of New England, which used virtual reality simulations of age-related illnesses as part of its medical school curriculum.
It was discovered that the participating students understood such problems better and had more compassion for the elderly.
The University of Michigan is another institution that has looked into the potential of virtual reality in medical education. The empathic-VR program was used by students at this university to hone their communication skills with a virtual person, which was especially useful when breaking bad news.
- Speeding Up Recovery in Physical Therapy
Time is of the essence for patients who have endured a stroke or traumatic brain damage. Their chances of effectively restoring lost functions increase the sooner they begin therapy.
Neuro Rehab VR offers physical therapy for these patients in a gamified manner. The company creates VR training exercises with machine learning in conjunction with medical professionals and therapists to customize each exercise to patients’ therapeutic requirements. The goal is to promote patient participation by making physical therapy more fun.
These techniques are effective. In a study released in November of last year, researchers discovered that youngsters with cerebral palsy significantly improved their movement following VR therapy. To improve outcomes, the authors of this study also recommended integrating this strategy with traditional rehabilitation practices.
The examples given above are just a small sample of how virtual reality is transforming healthcare for patients and medical practitioners.
Also read 11 Disruptive Brands that Reshaping the World You Live In
As technology becomes more commonly used and more inexpensive, immersive technologies will take center stage. With their mixed reality headsets, Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap, for example, can provide more engaging experiences, but these gadgets are still very new and pricey.
However, Google Cardboard makes VR headsets accessible for as little as $5. But attitudes must change if the technology is used more frequently in the hospital setting. Physicians and patients must be receptive to the technology for that to occur.
