https://www.digitalhealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/virtual-reality.jpg
I have always thought that Virtual Reality is mostly helpful for those who works in the educational field, and even if it stretches to other field, health care or family use, the first thing that came up to my mind was for the academic use such as training professionals with realistic environment and providing educational content for learners. However, beside these educational aspect, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality can be efficiently used in various ways. Not only in the hospital, its usage can benefit broad range of people regardless of health condition, age, and limitation in places.
The Blue Room, a Virtual Reality technology created by NewCastle University, helps those with autism by providing realistic scenarios that could happen in real-world through VR to overcome the phobias in everyday life. Also, a local charity called LOROS Hospice had provide patients who cannot get out of bed by themselves and terminal patients a ‘virtual walk’ , just like in the park, through VR technology. These kind of innovation within a technology industry. Training professionals are important but providing patients a better condition of treatment is also a crucial part of health system that cannot be easily ignored.
Outside of hospital, these technologies also affect in daily health life; for example, there is a mobile app that is created for exercise by combining elements for gaming and entertainment to make an enjoyable exercise habit and this app uses AR simulation to design a survival race from zombies. I think this is an original idea for health app, because it makes exercise more fun and enjoyable. I would love to try this app! This article showed me how the VR and AR can influence the field outside of education aspect.
source: https://www.digitalhealth.net/2018/02/vr-ar-transform-health-sector/
With the rise in both the technology of virtual and augmented reality, I can see this technology also being used in surgery. This is especially useful when you are just starting off with no experience about cutting or making incisions. Instead of just watching the professional or being thrown into the situation, they can be put in virtual reality simulation where they can pretend to perform a surgery on a person but that ‘person’ is a dummy. They can also use VR to plan out the surgery beforehand and look at the many possibilities there could be when the surgery is being taken place. Likewise, they can also practice the surgery. Augmented reality can also be helpful and that if the main plan from the VR is not working, they can refer to the AR of the current surgery using the backup plans done earlier on the VR simulation.
Great Point! I believe that VR or AR technic can do more than just games. It can also be a technic to do education. Due to the limit of reality, such like place or recourses, many people do not have a chance to learn the skills. Just like the article said, the VR technics help those with autism by providing realistic scenarios that could happen in real-world. It is hard for an intern doctor to experience and study in all real-world conditions, because it would not happen all the time. however, once it happens, the doctor has to handle the condition. Also, I find this article about a prison uses VR to teach inmates to get ready for the life outside.
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/bjym3w/this-prison-is-using-vr-to-teach-inmates-how-to-live-on-the-outside
1. Great article! Many people would only link the VR technology to the game and other entertainments, but not knowing other functions that VR can create. And I know that it is pretty hard to treat those mental illnesses like autism. Patients need to take both medical treatment and psychotherapy but not everyone able to get well. For the psychotherapy, many conditions limit the effect of treatment. I believe that the VR technology can provide those patients a better, realistic treating environment to adapt with.
I also find an article which talks about how VR technology helps in healthcare in other aspects. Hope this helps!
https://uploadvr.com/healthcare-vr-improve/
I find this article very interesting and actually agree with it. The idea that Virtual Reality technology can help those with autism by providing realistic scenarios that you would or could experience in real-world through can now be seen through VR to overcome the phobias in everyday life amazes me. i feel that VR can soon help any sickness to come for people who’ve experienced and damage to the brain. I have seen that people who have lost limbs use VR to visualize an arm or leg there to help them overcome their loss use that to push them to know what it would be like to have their limb back. Im not entirely sure if they can connect to the nerves in the leg to help them feel the effects of walking after surgery and i hope it does but here is an article that further talks about how VR and AR help patients for PT.
https://newgradphysicaltherapy.com/virtual-augmented-reality-helps-improve-patient-outcomes-physical-therapists/
Technology really is mind blowing. Reading your post reminded me of something I saw when I used to volunteer at a place called the Liberty Science Center in NJ. Called the Da Vinci Surgical System, this is basically a robot that performs surgery on its patients. While still controlled by a human, it’s the robot that performs the actual surgery, and it offers much more accuracy and precision than a human hand ever would.
It’s crazy because these technologies are so real and so available. They might need more perfecting and they might be expensive now, but with time, these services will be completely normal. It’s just like with personal PCs – twenty years ago, no one believed they would become a reality yet here we are. Medical technology is definitely a growing field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hw7eGmnpeE
http://www.davincisurgery.com/
Hi,
This is a very interesting article, I really agree with this, I think the development of the technology helps to the improvement of health and in this case is the VR. The VR also can help to speed up recovery after a traumatic brain injury. I have heard about a Swiss app called the Mindmaze that allows patients to practice how to move their fingers or lift their arms in a fun fashion with the help of VR.
https://www.mindmaze.com/
Here is a link where you can find more about the app if you are interested!
Hi Pat,
The idea that merging new and improving technology such as VR into an industry such as the healthcare industry seems like it would only take a matter of time. Seeing that I am currently a Health Care Administration Major, and my last experience came while working at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, I can speak from experience when I say that the healthcare Industry is always at the front of the curve in terms of technological advancements. In my time there, NYP implimented new ideas to stay on this curve, such as giving mobile phones to the nurses and moving forward with a new electronic scheduling system. In the healthcare industry it is always in the best interest of the patient to use new technology since that usually correlates with better patient care.
Great Article! I too have always believed that VR could lead too technological advances that benefit us as people and our daily health. This technology can make us see things that wouldn’t be possible without them, ultimately furthering our knowledge and benefitting our society. I believe that the simulation they have created for people with autism is extremely important, for it gives them a chance to experience real life interacting with having to worry about their phobias. Also, the gaming idea with the zombies for exercise sounds like an extremely fun game to play and a great way to receive the daily exercise you need. Kids these days seem like they prefer video games over playing outside, but with this technology, we can combine the two which could really change the video game landscape for the better. Great read!
https://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/15-best-vr-games-best-virtual-reality-games-for-pc-and-mobile-1300576
You said you liked to try the VR game app? Here’s an article I found that has the best upcoming VR games for 2018 if you’re interested!