Virtual Reality in Med School

Virtual reality and medical schools have become friends and life-long partners. In addition to the white lab coats and piles of textbooks, many medical schools are adding VR goggles as an important part of their required course materials. Med schools across the globe are investing time and money into VR/AR training facilities and programs for their students and staff. Giving students access to consistent training is crucial for learning how to react in a real-life situation. Providing this training in a virtual environment saves time, money, and space. Before students begin working with patients, VR technology is providing students an opportunity for a more immersive learning experience. Pairing VR headsets and software applications, students can get hands-on practice before they actually put hands on a patient. VR technology allows students to take a journey into the body, view neurological activity from within the brain, and practice complicated procedures. They are able to acquire first-hand experience and learn how the human body works. VR healthcare programs and technology give users the ability to see and experience human systems such as the circulatory, endocrine, and respiratory systems from the inside. Using this type of 21st-century technology can and will have the potential to transform modern medicine. This is where the inclusion of virtual reality in healthcare education has really started making incredible advances. Students at Stanford University School of Medicine are using a program called Surgical Theatre. VR goggles like the Oculus Rift allow them to see and manipulate organs before actually working on a cadaver. Another use of virtual reality in med school is the combination of medical animation with medical content. Students can pair software, like the VR Human Anatomy with Oculus Touch Controllers. Using these interactive controllers, VR headsets, and software programs, students can interact with each of the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons that create the human body. Information is displayed while users manipulate each part of the anatomy. Other programs use the same Oculus Rift headset and Oculus Touch Controllers to simulate an up-close and personal look at every part of the brain. Med schools using this type of software can provide students the opportunity to visualize and interact with infinite combinations of neuroimaging data. Combining medical education with the infinite possibilities that virtual reality in healthcare can offer, students can be more prepared to meet the needs of their future patients.

Virtual Reality for On-the-job Training

Practice makes perfect. New medical procedures are introduced every year. Thus, there is a greater need and demand for new training to learn these procedures. This need has led to a perfect mix of virtual reality and healthcare. Healthcare professionals are constantly being required to learn new surgical procedures. In 2019 alone, ten new medical procedures were introduced for use in hospitals all over the world. Advancements like robotic surgery, wireless brain sensors, and artificial organs have become commonplace in the medical profession. These new procedures require a healthy amount of hands-on training. However, learning where and how to place a wireless brain sensor isn't a great skill to learn through an online course. Pair that online course, though, with a VR headset, some Oculus Touch Controllers, and a simulation program, and surgeons have endless opportunities to practice before they perform the actual procedure. Now, thanks to virtual reality in healthcare education, medical professionals are able to practice surgeries, tasks, and drug combinations in a type of gamification setting. Doctors and surgeons can see a procedure before it needs to be performed. For example, a doctor can input patients' MRI and CT scans into a handful of immersive programs, and by using VR headsets and touch controllers, they can work through best and worst-case scenarios. These virtual reality applications are helping surgeons be better prepared for procedures. Virtual reality is also giving patients some much-needed reassurance.

Virtual Reality for Patient Education

Surgery is scary. Regardless of how routine a surgical procedure may be, a few patients actually feel at ease. In the same way that doctors and surgeons are using VR applications and technology to prepare for surgery, patients are being given the opportunity to see the procedure, too, before it happens. Adult patients have a decent way to cope with upcoming surgeries and procedures. Younger kids, though, can be terrified. Depending on the patient’s demographics, companies are beginning to create VR prescriptions. These prescriptions are helping patients understand a new drug, a new therapy, or an upcoming procedure. The kid versions use more of a cartoon, light-hearted approach. Older patients receive information in a straightforward format. With VR headsets, patients can spend a few minutes understanding their diagnosis as well as their treatment plan.

Virtual Reality for Alternative Therapy

People associate healthcare with pain. We think about surgeries and procedures. We think about diseases and diagnoses. We think about anything and everything that may land us a night, or two, in a hospital bed. One of the most anxiety-producing situations for any patient is the time of a surgery or any other medical procedure. However, one study proved how efficient and effective the use of virtual reality in healthcare scenarios could be in eliminating pain, discomfort, and anxiety without the use of medication. A simple VR headset with a relaxing and stimulating game was found to have the ability to lower anxiety and fear through a virtual escape. The Virtual Reality Pain Distraction Experience conducted research, which involved a focus group of fifty (50) patients with a VR headset and a 15-minute VR experience called Pain RelieVR. The gameplay focused on hitting objects with balls while wandering around a relaxing, fantasy world. There was no violence. There was no competition. There was also no need to physically move while wearing the headsets.There was, however, motivational music, positive animations, and direct messages to keep the patient engaged. All it took to play the game was a simple turn of the head. This type of study showed a clear indication that VR applications in healthcare had the potential to help patients deal with pain and anxiety without the use of pain meds. Another similar study focused on VR's ability to detract from a woman's pain during childbirth without the use of an epidural. A relatively pain-free experience in a hospital seems to be getting closer to reality.

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality, with its ability to immerse a user into the virtual world, is dominating the headlines of many IT blogs today. Be first to know the latest news on virtual reality in LITSLINK’s VR blog.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality in Healthcare: Top Use Cases and Trends to Look For in 2023

Oculus for Business: A New Way to Stay Connected

A Complete Guide on How to Build a VR App and Not Ruin Your Sanity

Top 5 VR Apps based on Unity You Should Definitely Check in 2O21

Is Virtual Reality a New Game Changer for the Real Estate Field?

Ecommerce Innovations: How Virtual Reality is Changing the Face of the Industry?

Usage of Virtual Reality in Education: Pros and Cons

Subscribe to our blog updates

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality in Healthcare: Top Use Cases and Trends to Look For in 2023

Oculus for Business: A New Way to Stay Connected

A Complete Guide on How to Build a VR App and Not Ruin Your Sanity

Top 5 VR Apps based on Unity You Should Definitely Check in 2O21

Is Virtual Reality a New Game Changer for the Real Estate Field?

Ecommerce Innovations: How Virtual Reality is Changing the Face of the Industry?

Usage of Virtual Reality in Education: Pros and Cons

Categories

Subscribe to our blog updates