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As immersive technology continues to develop, the healthcare sector is taking advantage of new and innovative solutions provided by virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Some of the key areas of focus include surgery/surgical training, psychology/mental wellness, and physical therapy/pain management.
What are some examples currently in use today, and where can we expect to see XR used for healthcare in the near future? Let’s explore the possibilities and potential below.
Surgery and Surgical Training
Surgical training in VR, using tools such as Osso VR’s training and assessment platform, can greatly enhance the realism and effectiveness of the training process. Participants who used the company’s VR surgical training methods performed 230% better than their traditionally instructed peers, as measured by the Global Rating Scale (GRS) for surgical performance.
Another example of XR for surgery involves the use of Microsoft HoloLens (an augmented & mixed reality headset) for spinal surgery. CAD images from a patient’s CT scan or MRI were viewed as 3D images in the HoloLens, while a surgeon performed spinal surgery on the patient. “The surgeon sees these 3D virtual images of the patient’s spine in combination with the patient’s real body in a mixed reality environment.”
VR can also be a valuable tool for brain surgery. The Montreal Neurological Institute is using VR simulations, enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI), to train surgeons for various brain operations.
“We actually took tumors out and measured their density and then put all that information into the simulator,” said study co-lead author Rolando Del Maestro. “Then we took color and put that into the simulator, the way the blood vessels bleed.”
In one simulation, a brain is virtually constructed, pulsating like the real thing. The realism is a key component for training new surgeons, who during their six years of training have always had a teaching physician by their side while working with real patients.
CTV Montreal
Psychology and Mental Wellness
One example of the use of XR for mental wellness is in the treatment of phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Virtual Reality Treatment Program at the Duke Faculty Practice offers a “human-computer interaction” form of therapy for patients with anxiety disorders due to fear of heights, elevators, thunderstorms, public speaking, and flying.
After an initial diagnostic interview is conducted to ensure that the service is appropriate for the presenting problem, participants are placed in a computer-generated three-dimensional virtual world and guided through the selected environment. Computer graphics and various display and input technologies are integrated to give the user a sense of presence or immersion in the virtual environment. The therapist then guides the participant through the environment and can interact with them through the entire event. Research indicates that 6 to 12 sessions are required to achieve maximum benefit.
Duke Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Other examples of VR treatment for phobias allow patients to face their fears via exposure therapy. This helps desensitize patients via multiple exposures to the particular situation that triggers their fear. In VR, this is a safe and effective method of treatment, according to Science News:
Confronting fears can be easier in a virtual setting. A flight-phobic patient can take off and land many times in a single VR session without the cost and hassle of actual flights. Veterans with post-traumatic stress who can’t remember a traumatic memory in great detail can reenact a close proxy in VR for a more potent therapeutic experience. The same goes for those who repress painful memories.
Science News
Physical Therapy and Pain Management
Virtual reality is emerging as a new approach for helping patients manage pain and discomfort during hospital stays. The University Hospital of Wales is using VR to help women manage the pain of labor and childbirth. According to midwife Suzanne Hardacre, “There’s a great opportunity particularly to use this with women in early labour, to try and help them with some breathing and relaxation and take them out of the moment.”
VR therapeutic techniques are also employed for burn victims and other patients, in order to help them deal with pain during medical treatment and recovery. In addition to helping distract patients from their pain, VR can also be an alternative to medications that are potentially addictive. This is not only a cost saving solution, but also extremely beneficial as a means to deal with the widespread problem of addiction to pain medicine.
The Future
Immersive technology provides many new opportunities for medical training, surgical procedures, and treatment of patients. The ability of VR, AR, and MR to provide enhanced, realistic simulations will enable many innovative healthcare solutions in the months and years ahead.
As ongoing improvements such as haptics, eye tracking, and multi-user VR environments are incorporated into healthcare, the use of XR will become commonplace for hospitals and other healthcare providers. The potential for XR to improve medicine and healthcare is enormous, but still in its early stages. It will take the dedication, skill and innovation of developers and medical practitioners working together to realize the full potential and benefits of XR going forward.
