Extended Reality is already being used in many industries. Virtual reality has gained considerable importance for medicine and has repeatedly made headlines here. VR technology makes it possible to simulate operations virtually and to confront patients with fears or problems. Increasingly, new areas of application are being found for VR, AR or MR in medicine and we can look forward to seeing how this will affect our healthcare system in the future. Can medicine be revolutionised by virtual reality? Will our visit to the doctor or hospital stay look completely different from today in the near future?
To answer these questions, I put VR to the test as it is actually used in practice: Do the use cases in medicine show where the industry is heading, or are these just research projects with no future prospects? Can VR, AR and MR establish themselves as fixed components in healthcare? I will explore these questions in the following, taking a close look at the individual sub-areas of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality and examining them with regard to their potential for the medical sector.
Top 10 VR Use Cases in Healthcare
- XR assisted therapy
- Pain management
- Virtual reality in rehab
- Improved first aid
- Augmented surgeries
- VR surgical training
- Improved patient education, self-care & engagement
- Simplified hospital navigation
- Medical education
- Pharma marketing & advertising
1. XR assisted therapy
Exposure therapy is a proven method for treating mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, anxiety, addiction and phobias. By using XR technology (XR stands for Extended Reality), the effectiveness of exposure therapy can be improved. This allows better control over therapy scenarios and encourages variations. XR-assisted exposure therapy also offers more safety as the scenarios take place in virtual environments. It allows for safe and repeatable scenarios in a controlled environment that enables patients to gradually confront and overcome their fears. Another benefit of XR-assisted exposure therapy is the ability for patients to continue therapy at home, improving treatment outcomes.
The VR landscape in healthcare is also addressing mental health issues. Medical training strategies in virtual reality can help patients manage stress and anxiety. Programmes promise to help cure addictions to unhealthy behaviours. VR can also help with other mental disorders and illnesses such as paranoia or depression. It can provide quality therapy and guidance for those suffering from conditions such as agoraphobia and the increasing diagnosis of mental illness.
For more Information to XR assisted therapy check:
- Virtual Reality-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders
- Virtual Reality for Supporting the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety
- Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
2. Pain management
Parents know this: sufficiently distracted, for example by a picture book, the toddler doesn’t even notice the injection. Pain? Not a chance. The idea of using VR glasses against pain is exactly the same: Distraction.
One of the first applications was developed by scientists at the University of Washington shortly after the turn of the millennium: the VR game “SnowWorld”. In it, the player runs through a snow world and throws snowballs at snowmen, penguins and whatever else appears. The game is used for people who have suffered burns. Doctors have to change their bandages and clean their wounds regularly.
And that hurts a lot. But it hurts less if the patients don’t lie in the treatment room but walk through “SnowWorld”. In the meantime, there are numerous other examples of use. For example, during dental treatment, against the contractions of the mother during the birth of a child or to facilitate the necessary treatment after an episiotomy.
For more Information how extended reality can help in pain management check:
3. Virtual Reality in rehab
Who likes doing rehab exercises? It hurts, it’s hard, everything used to be better and success, well, comes slowly. But with virtual reality, rehab sport can be really fun. Because it becomes a computer game in which you take on the leading role yourself: VR goggles on and boxes and bars come flying at you, sticks or holes block the way, players have to dodge to the left, hop to the right, duck or climb over something.
There are points, levels and all kinds of gamification elements with which the gaming industry keeps the users’ enjoyment of the game high. Depending on the rehabilitation focus, there are various games with different movement challenges to choose from. And those who really enjoy rehab can continue playing at home in their living room.
For more Information how Virtual Reality helps in rehab check:
- VR4REHAB – Virtual Reality for Rehabilitation
- Virtual Reality in the Rehabilitation of Patients with Injuries and Diseases of Upper Extremities
4. Improved first aid
Augmented reality (AR) provides first responders with valuable tools while leaving their hands free to provide emergency care. The applications of AR in first aid are many and of great benefit. One important application of AR is access to patient data records. This allows first responders to quickly and easily access important information, such as pre-existing conditions, allergies or medication use. Another application of AR is the ability to provide remote specialist advice via AR video conferencing. Here, experienced professionals can assist and advise on treatment remotely.
Another application is to provide guidance in first aid procedures. AR enables the first aider to receive and follow step-by-step instructions, which facilitates and improves the performance of first aid measures. Diagnostic support can also be facilitated by AR. By using AR-based applications, first responders can be assisted in diagnosing illnesses or injuries. Overall, AR provides first responders with valuable tools to improve emergency care and treat patients faster and more effectively.
For more Information how VR can lead to Improved first aid check:
5. Augmented surgeries
Especially in surgery, AR offers a variety of advantages over the use of glasses or lenses. By using AR tools, doctors have the ability to superimpose relevant information and schematics into their field of view while keeping their hands free.
With the help of AR technology, data can be displayed on a tablet, data glasses or a projector. In medicine, calculated images of vessels or organs such as the heart can be made available to the surgeon. Optical tracking systems make it possible to deliver information about the patient and live images of the body to monitors in the operating theatre. With this information, the doctor can see where to target to achieve the best possible outcome.
Some of the practical applications of AR in surgery include: step-by-step visualisations of surgical procedures, real-time monitoring of patient vital signs, display of necessary schematics such as CT or MRI data placed on a patient’s body, visualisation of patient-specific anatomy, identification of abnormal surgical encounters, and remote assistance from other professionals.
All of this helps to reduce risk and improve accuracy. AR technology has the potential to revolutionise the medical industry in terms of surgical procedures and can help patients recover faster and safer.
For more Information how Augmented Reality helps in surgery check:
- Augmented Reality in Surgery: How AR is revolutionising healthcare
- Augmented for surgical success—a reality now
6. VR surgical training
Extended Reality has played an important role in perfecting surgical training around the world. Doctors can use XR-based apps to practice complex surgical procedures on 3D models, saving money on purchasing human dummy models, which are usually expensive. XR-based medical education allows doctors to track procedures and pick out mistakes at every step. XR technology provides medical professionals with immersive and effective solutions for learning and practising surgical procedures. XR-based surgical simulations provide a safe and realistic way for professionals to experiment, train and collaborate.
Virtual reality enables practice of practical skills at great cost savings without having to face real-life consequences. Therefore, VR is invaluable for practising skills required for high-risk activities such as surgery. A mistake during surgery on a virtual patient will not hurt anyone or even cost lives, but will be a useful learning experience for the student thanks to the realistic visualisation and feedback.
The potential of medical virtual reality is perhaps most prevalent in surgery. As mentioned earlier, VR solutions can be used to train surgeons to perform complex procedures. But they can also practice to improve their accuracy and motor skills, which reduces the risk of errors and post-operative complications. In virtual environments, procedures of treatments or surgical interventions can be simulated. With VR glasses, users can interact with the environment and practice certain situations and processes without the risk of making mistakes in real life. For example, in root canal treatment, statistically the medical procedure with the most confirmed treatment errors, more frequent practice and simulation can reduce the rate of human-caused errors during surgery. Moreover, performing the surgery simulation with VR is independent of location and time, so that multiple repetitions of the practice operations are possible without any problems.
For more Information how Augmented Reality helps in surgery check:
7. Improved patient education, self-care & engagement
XR-based solutions are a valuable complement to traditional medicine. They offer patients who are unable to access medical help due to space, time or financial constraints the opportunity to actively track and improve their health.
The use of XR technology allows patients to explain their symptoms more precisely through the use of visual stimuli, enabling faster and more accurate diagnosis. In addition, patients can track their healing process and document their progress.
The use of XR technology in physiotherapy allows patients to perform their exercises more accurately, speeding up their recovery. Patients also have the ability to receive instructions and support from healthcare professionals in their area without the need for an in-person visit.
The ability to view medical data in XR environments allows patients to better understand their condition and make informed decisions regarding their health.
For more Information how Augmented Reality helps in surgery check:
- The use of virtual reality in patient education related to medical somatic treatment
- How VR Can Boost Individualized Patient Education, Care Experience
8. Simplified hospital navigation
Navigating medical facilities with many buildings and floors can be complex and time-consuming. AR-enabled smartphone solutions help patients reach their desired location by guiding them with virtual arrows and real-time information about their surroundings.
For more Information how Augmented Reality helps in surgery check:
9. Medical education
Distance education has seen strong growth in recent years, especially during the pandemic. However, medical education poses a particular challenge as it relies heavily on offline and hands-on training. XR (Extended Reality) offers an innovative solution here by enabling immersive learning experiences.
By using XR, medical students and healthcare workers can be supported by enabling them to understand complex concepts more easily. In addition, human anatomy can be experienced in 3D without the use of cadavers or physical equipment. XR also makes it possible to integrate different sources and data into a single platform and to observe professionals at work from a first-person perspective.
By using XR in medical education, training can be applied to real-life scenarios, which will lead to higher quality training and better preparation of graduates for their future work. Overall, XR offers the opportunity to revolutionise medical education and improve the training of healthcare professionals.
For more Information how Virtual Reality helps in medical education:
10. Pharma marketing & advertising
Imagine exploring the world of drugs in an exciting and interactive way instead of studying boring and hard-to-understand descriptions. With augmented reality (AR), this is now possible.
Patients can get a 3D visualisation of how a drug works in their body by using AR. Laboratory workers can also use AR devices to monitor their experiments and explore how drugs work in an intuitive way. In this way, people can explore the world of pills and have fun at the same time.
For more Information how Virtual Reality helps in medical education:
Virtual reality will revolutionise healthcare
My conclusion for the use of VR, AR or MR in medicine can be summed up as follows: Virtual reality will revolutionise the industry, but there is still a long way to go. Let’s be honest: Did your last visit to the dentist or general practitioner show any signs of VR? Probably not.
This reflects the state of the market: Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality undoubtedly offer fantastic opportunities. Due to the immersion as well as the possibility to provide valuable additional information, VR technology can be successfully applied in the training of medical professionals as well as for the planning and execution of operations. But: VR use cases are currently limited to the spectacular side of the health sector: it’s about operations, it’s about renowned institutes or research facilities that are currently pushing virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality.
They are still miles away from widespread relevance. However, this can change quickly, as the past has shown (e.g. with 3D printing in the dental sector). For this to happen, however, a number of factors have to come together, which is also due to the special structure and regulation of the market: once technological innovations have been tested and are accepted by relevant decision-making bodies, associations and institutions, the roll-out can happen very quickly. And before you know it, the next time you go to the doctor, the general practitioner is standing opposite you with a tablet instead of a stethoscope.