Virtual reality (VR) has changed the world of video games and entertainment, and has also been used in various fields from interior design to tourism. But in addition to these "fun" applications, virtual reality is also used to help save lives in life-and-death situations.
For example, the American Society of Safety Professionals (American Society of Safety Professionals) has developed a VR application to provide construction workers with more realistic fall prevention safety training. (Objectively speaking, most fatalities (40%) on construction sites are caused by falls.)
But perhaps nowhere has a better chance than the healthcare industry to turn things around in a life-and-death situation. Even if the risk is not that high, innovation in this field can benefit everyone. Fortunately, virtual reality is changing the healthcare industry in a revolutionary way. It can train more skilled doctors, bring innovative treatment options, and provide better patient care.
Surgical training
Between the medical school and the intern, the surgeon spends many years studying and training. Surgical simulation can greatly speed up the training process. Danny P Goel, MD, CEO and co-founder of Precision OS, said, “In the healthcare field, the benefits of virtual reality and high-quality content that solve real-world problems are obvious.” Precision OS provides virtual reality orthopedic surgery education And preoperative planning software. Goel said: "In the current simulation model, there is a real disconnect between combining cognitive skills and technical skills." Goel also has an identity: Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of British Columbia.
However, Precision OS has cooperated with many medical institutions such as Mayo Clinic, The Boston Shoulder Institute and the University of British Columbia to build three types of simulation platforms:
The arthroplasty platform allows surgeons to familiarize themselves with the patient’s anatomy, determine precise metrics, and perform virtual operations without the need for living patients.
The patient-specific anatomy platform allows surgeons to use data to perform operations before surgery. In this way, the patient in the simulated surgery can be customized and the exercises can be customized to help the specific and upcoming surgery process.
The trauma platform focuses on the fracture shape, screw path and plate position in trauma surgery. It can be recommended to conduct in-depth evaluation and selection, and to conduct it as a test.
Surgeons can gain surgical experience at any time and any place. Geol said: "We plan to disrupt, trying to affect the differences in healthcare that exist around the world."
He is not the only one who believes that technology may advance at the speed of light, but the training of healthcare professionals often fails to keep up. "Doctors are still observing medical imaging from a 2D or 2.5D perspective, just as they have done since the introduction of this technology." said Mike Harper, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of zSpace, which is a company that combines virtual reality. Reality and augmented reality technology company. "This creates inherent limitations because the screen or viewer becomes an obstacle to 3D content, which is an anatomical reality, usually obtained during the scanning process."
However, zSpace is working hard to eliminate this limitation. Harper said that zSpace is reshaping how clinicians view and interact with a patient's specific anatomy, thereby improving diagnosis and providing more precise planning. "We are working with partners such as EchoPixel, Neurotargeting, Galgo Medical, Radial3D, and Boston Scientific to change the way clinicians and researchers understand and interpret the form, function, and process of specific patient anatomy."
Techopedia contacted one of zSpace’s partners. EchoPixel focuses on improving the level of care for patients with congenital heart disease. "Our flagship product True3D provides a 3D interactive holographic experience that facilitates precise and personalized surgical planning using surgical views." explained Sergio Aguirre, CEO and founder of EchpPixel. "It provides the possibility of turning inoperable patients into operable, shortening the operation time and enhancing patient participation." He explained. "Surgeons can better understand the complex anatomy of patients with congenital heart disease, which allows them to perform more operations with less risk and more predictable results."
The platform has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is used in many hospitals, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Primary Children's Hospital, CS Mott Hospital, and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
Patient communication
In addition to helping doctors hone their surgical skills, virtual reality can also help health professionals develop their communication skills. Gortney Harding is the founder and CEO of Friends With Holograms, a company that provides virtual reality technology for training. This company partnered with Accenture to create a project to teach soft skills. She said: “During the virtual reality training, doctors and patients sit in the room and can choose the questions to ask and the way of dialogue. For example, they can practice how to inform patients of terminal illnesses and deal with patients’ reactions; they can also practice Talk to parents who read promotional materials on Facebook, or they can have empathic conversations about weight loss."
Pain/emotion management
But virtual reality is not limited to medical professionals. It is also directly applied to patients in the form of pain management therapy. Rachel Lanham, COO of Pixvana, a provider of virtual reality training solutions, said: "Our partner Limbix has proven that virtual reality is a powerful tool for immersion therapy and growth mentality training. By creating a stressful environment through the creation of actual experiences, virtual reality It can help patients learn to manage their reactions, from fear of heights to substance abuse to social anxiety."
Virtual reality technology can also make health professionals more empathetic to the suffering of patients.
Lanham said, "The biggest possibility we see is that the power of virtual reality really plays a role: presence, empathy and immersion. We are particularly optimistic about virtual reality videos, and we have witnessed the frontline medical staff experience the situation from the perspective of the patient. , Quickly build compassion for patients in crisis.” (Editor’s note: For more information on these uses, please refer to https://www.techopedia.com/how-ai-is-enhancing-wearables/2/33627)
Improve the quality of life of the elderly
许多老年人的行动能力有限，但虚拟现实可以将他们带到他们选择的目的地。“虽然对虚拟现实影响的研究还处于相对早期的阶段，但研究已经开始显示了虚拟现实对幸福感和健康的影响，”MyndVR 的首席执行官 Chris Brickler 说。该公司为老年社区、家庭医疗保健机构和老年消费者提供虚拟现实解决方案。
MyndVR 使用虚拟现实提供高质量的体验。他说，“我们专注于创造内容，让老年人从护理社区的四壁走出来，并让他们以一种保持思维活跃、满足好奇心的方式参与其中。我们看到虚拟现实在许多疗法中发挥了作用：回忆、音乐、艺术、自然、宠物等等，它允许联系，并在人口老龄化的情况下对认知健康有很大的希望。”
那么，它起作用了吗？Brickler 说，MyndVR 的一位客户的报告显示，病人的行为有 25% 的积极变化；另一项研究显示，在记忆护理环境中，对虚拟现实的积极反应为 50%。
我们将何去何从？
Ebbe Altberg 是 Linden Lab 的首席执行官，该实验室为虚拟体验开发平台。尽管虚拟现实在心理和身体健康方面取得了长足的进步，但 Altberg 认为，我们才刚刚意识到虚拟现实的全部潜力。
“随着这项技术走向低端市场——适应了 5G、移动设备等更容易获得的形式因素而变得更加便宜的时候，我想，我们会发现越来越多的病人转向虚拟世界去寻求亲情和联系，在这里，他们可以和其他可能乐意分享自身病情的人们交流，并且他们还可以享受到更大程度的流动性。”
Linden Labs 开发的第二人生（Second Life）是一款虚拟世界游戏，在游戏中，包括残疾人在内的人们创建了世界和社区，彼此见面，分享想法，共同探索。Altberg 说，“但我们知道，这些应用的范围甚至可以更广：虚拟环境下的团体治疗；为家庭病人提供的虚拟咨询；从创伤后应激障碍、恐惧症、疼痛管理、物理治疗等一切惊人的应用，比如失去肢体等创伤后的物理治疗，以及帕金森氏症等神经疾病，甚至老年痴呆症。”
他预测：“虚拟世界将很快成为医疗服务提供者和他们服务的患者之间的重要桥梁，无论你身在世界的哪个角落，虚拟世界都将成为保持联系和寻求治疗的方式。”