Future of Virtual Reality in Healthcare

Umaya Jayaratne
11 min readJun 9, 2021

Introduction

Due to the rapid transformation in technology, so many innovations are highlighted in every industry. Fields like education, transport, agriculture, health, construction, production, etc are transformed with the development of technology. When considering the innovation in recent times, nanotechnology, the internet of things,3D imaging, machine learning, etc are in the lead. When considering the health sector virtual reality, nanomedicine, the internet of medical things, precision medicine, etc are some disruptive innovations in the recent past. Among them, virtual reality is in the lead as it helps it could decrease so many difficulties in the healthcare field.

What is virtual reality?

Virtual reality is a calculating-produced illusion of facts of existence submerge in liquid people into a fake atmosphere and providing visual, visual, and audio entertainment transmitted via radio waves and haptic senses. When we stage a performance a Computer-generated environment headset takes us into the untrue world making us entirely deprived of something the real environment.

If the human brain is persuaded that it’s everywhere, Virtual Reality can simulate something, wherever, anywhere. The key purpose of virtual reality is to offer a meaningful experience, you forget that it is virtually artificial and you begin to engage with it like you normally do in real life. This could be a completely artificial universe that could mimic real-world characteristics

Trends in Virtual reality in the health sector

In the past few years, VR has obtained increasing popularity in the lives of patients, surgeons, and medical professionals. Positive results from use have been reported.

Chronic pain is a common adult condition. They invest almost $17.8 billion annually in pain medicines. Their many side effects, including a reduction in treatment and increased risk of permanent injury, have to be met with opioid medicines. Also, hospital visits grew, healthcare rates rose and even deaths increased. In this case, VR is a viable substitute for chronic pain control in patients with most studies which indicate positive results.

In addition to that augmented reality is used to relax people, some of whom lead to acute suffering, before and after traumatic surgical operations. Besides, autism developmental disorder helps infants and adults. This is used to improve understanding between medical students and elderly practitioners while evaluating medical students Also, this extended both to trainers and medical students.

Future of virtual reality in the health sector

In the healthcare sector, it is assessed that last year the augmented reality market reached a target of $4 billion. So that both hope that virtual reality will expand in this fast-evolving industry to feel its existence in more ordinary fields of contact with doctors and patients and their friendship. Because of that, this virtual reality is used in the health care industry in many strategies such as for educating medical students, treating mental illnesses, pain management, physical fitness, diagnosing diseases, surgeries, etc.

1.Educating medical students

When debating potential doctors’ instruction, professors and lecturers would like students to lay their headset aside from collecting scalpel. Virtual reality will show a western hemisphere of the capacity of tension, a genuinely passionate place of existence-experience requiring very rapid thought and a keen analysis and commitment to give a precariously diseased individual a medical concern.

Apart from admitting a person actively learning to become deeply involved themselves fashionable imitation, this can give different instructional benefits that can assist med person actively learning as they cancel into their course. Not like traditional methods, VR Medical Training Creates a Better Practice Environment. Imitation bear exists put to a test expected specifically persuasive when it meets expectations education well mechanics process that doctors exceptionally act, but must skill commotion well.

According to Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician in New York City “Individual specific system for accomplishing something, popular as a cricothyrotomy — that draw in cutting into a distinguishing scope of a surface of the patient’s narrow connector and put a flexible hose through a thin covering layer into the neck — demand precision or correctness and speed, and maybe lifesaving if act right, but ghostly in another way,”

According to Glatter, like simulation, Virtual Reality can help people learn actively the process that requires them to do perfection again. When thinking about it Virtual resentment is especially helpful in the area of cardiology in a more logical environment for the instruction of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Next Galaxy works with Miami Children’s Hospital to create CPR and other specialty life-saving modules for Virtual Reality.

Apart from that by using Virtual Reality, students can develop the style of virtual reality can also enable future doctors to experience the patient’s symptoms. In June, the Huffington Post reported on Embodied Labs’ “We Are Alfred” project, a virtual reality startup at the University of Illinois at Chicago dedicated to developing Virtual Reality for healthcare. The project aims to allow medical students to experience the feelings of the elderly and to have hearing and hearing problems. For example, when students see a large dark spot in a loved one’s eyes, they can feel the limits of macular degeneration.”The project is focused on comfort,” Eric Swirsky, the project’s academic advisor, told the Huffington Post. “It is not a cure, it is not a cure or even the purpose of the treatment. It is about comforting the patient and understanding where he is so that you can be with him. “As well as Virtual reality is used for more complete training and textbooks Virtual reality can also change the standard way that surgical students observe surgery at the table in the operating room. In 2014 Polygon released a report on the use of first-person 3D Oculus Rift VR headsets. A doctor filmed the procedure with a GoPro camera and made the footage into a VR experience on the Oculus Rift with money from the MOVeos Foundation, a French research company dedicated to digital medicines. “The Rift approach is very useful for surgery in surgical shoes to exchange and learn new techniques among doctors,” said Remy Rousseau, the project engineer. Remi Rousseau said to Polygon: Medical students can also suggest substitute headphones for the popular Grey’s Anatomy reference book. University has launched an anatomical VR experience, which helps the students to see the human nervous system, respiratory system, muscles, and bones closely. VR education material is provided for Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift.

2.Treatment of mental illness

Depression and anxiety are the two most well-known mental disorders. 20% of the US population has diagnosable mental illnesses that they may not even realize. In the United States, one of the most common mental health disorders affecting approximately 7.7 million people is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is a mental illness caused by an experienced or perceived terrorist event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about certain events.

Treatments for mental disorders have evolved. From counseling to therapy to medication, professionals use a variety of combinations. Some people still opt for traditional herbs. Shamanism uses ancestral and herbal healing techniques to treat mental illness. Their method involves the use of various plants and herbs in the form of pastes and teas for the treatment of diseases. Modern medicine has found that using Ayurveda to treat post-traumatic stress disorder is very effective. Ayahuasca is a plant from the Amazon forest. It is eaten in the form of a tea-like concoction. Studies have shown that it can effectively manage symptoms related to anxiety and PTSD.

As the world has embraced digitalization and technology has invaded our lives, the use of virtual reality in medicine is becoming increasingly popular. Many researchers believe it can help treat PTSD and other mental health problems. Post-traumatic stress disorder is common, but especially when it goes unnoticed. Many studies have shown that people who are at war are more likely than others to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Scientists have explored the use of virtual reality exposure therapy to help veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder. VRET helps simulate shocking events facing individuals and helps them control their emotions and feelings. By predicting trigger events, professionals can guide patients until they have a mechanism to cope with the trauma.

Whether it’s a dark alley or a lizard, phobias can be daunting, especially in extreme situations. For example, if you want to become a fighter jet pilot but have a fear of flying, you will find it difficult to achieve your dream.

The Freudian concept of fear states that fear is illogical and VRET can prove it right! Contact therapy has had the most practical use to date in helping people overcome anxiety. Simulations run on patients scare them until they can overcome them and are no longer afraid.

Regardless of whether we have a diagnosable mental illness, each of us suffers from changes in the levels of stress and anxiety in our lives. Financial obstacles, burnout at work, failed marriages, or failed exams — the reasons vary. Stress weakens our daily work and leads to a chain reaction of mental and physical illnesses in the pressure cooker effect. If we fill it with us, it will eventually malfunction.

VRET has played an important role in helping people reduce stress and practice meditation. Many companies have incorporated virtual reality into their solutions for dealing with workplace anxiety and stress. VR meditation games are also a great way to keep stress levels down after a busy day.

Anxiety disorder is one of the most common mental health problems affecting 40 million people in the United States and costs $ 42 billion a year.Distributed treatment through telemedicine and self-directed therapy can make a big difference for many people with anxiety disorders. Using virtual reality to treat anxiety is essential. This is accomplished by exposing and understanding the triggers for the patient. Fear can come from anything, it can be as mild as the fear of losing someone, or it can be the past that messed up our brains.

3.Pain management

VR therapy reduces pain through the process of distraction. Distraction means diverting the patient’s consciousness from a very obvious sensation (pain) and consciously diverting attention to another information processing activity. By simulating the visual cortex and absorbing other sensations, VR simulation can limit the patient’s handling of painful stimuli.

Look at this example. When children hurt themselves, they can sometimes stop crying by giving them their favorite toys or candy. This does not mean that the pain is gone. Virtual reality directs their attention to other places, causing their brains to ignore the pain.

Several distraction tools have been previously tested and used to relieve pain. This includes games, music, videos, meditation techniques, etc.

However, Virtual Reality is better than any other as it offers a fully interactive experience. Patients undergoing VR treatment can actively participate in the experience. The presence evoked by this experience leads to significant pain relief.

The first study on the effects of Virtual Reality pain relief was conducted in the late 1990s by Dr. Hunter Hoffman and colleagues from the University of Washington.

By using Virtual Reality, they managed to alleviate the suffering of patients with severe burns. Burning pain is one of the most difficult to treat. In most cases, it does not respond to available medications.

Since Dr. Hoffman, no major strides were made. The continuous further development of Virtual Reality technology opens new possibilities to integrate it into medicine.A new study published by the Public Science Library highlights the effectiveness of Virtual Reality pain management:

Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in Cedar Mountain selected at least 3 out of 10 people with pain scores to be selected as adults. Half of the patients are given Virtual Reality glasses and can choose from different meditation and relaxation experiences. It is recommended to use headphones three times a day for 10 minutes for the next three days. The other half was used as a control and received other interventions.

Virtual Reality therapy resulted in a significant reduction in pain scores. After Virtual Reality treatment, patients with severe pain scores of 7 and more lost an average of 3 points.”Our research supports previous research that Virtual Reality can effectively relieve pain through the use of non-addictive, drug-free therapies, so people experience a variety of pain conditions,” said Dr. Brennan Spiegel, director of health research at Cedars-Sinai.

The hospital is in the early stages of applying Virtual Reality therapy to improve the quality of care and provide patient experiences.

4.Patient education

It helps not only doctors but also patients to look at the innermost part of the human body in virtual reality. Digital Realty is a virtual component of the hospital anatomical and pathological 360 ° Virtual Reality reconstruction and enables the patient to be handled following their surgical plan[6]. The effect improved the comprehension of the procedure and thus the happiness of the patient.

5.Fitness health and training

Virtual Reality is slowly entering the fitness industry and is used by many fitness professionals along with aerobic exercise to create more interactive and active training programs. Virtual Reality is also used in physiotherapy, etc. To encourage patients without the need for invasive techniques.

6. Surgeries

Surgical training

The healthcare industry, especially to train the next generation of medical professionals, is among the greatest consumers of digital reality. This technology allows educated surgeons to acquire useful knowledge in a safe place. They will not affect patients and will get input as they develop skills and strategies. The report

In this way, their confidence is developed and their knowledge is gained. The report [10] Digital patients may undergo surgery with advanced technology or upgrade their ability to sleep. Furthermore, if you make an error, you should not endanger yourself or your ‘patients.’

Robotic surgery

Robotic activity is a new innovation that involves the use of robotic machinery such as robots. A human surgeon-controlled robotic arm. This ensures that the chance of operation and quicker surgery is reduced. Exactly the robotic arm ensures lower cuts, lower blood loss and quicker regeneration.

Virtual reality enables surgeons to monitor the robotic arm movement, especially the tiny, delicate motions that human surgeons are unable to achieve. Another use is a remote operation by surgeons at various sites. He or she is elsewhere than the patient, in other words.

One of the most significant reasons for the use of an Immersive Interface is force feedback, named after a sequence of physical answers (such as a joystick on a flight simulator). It is important for robotic surgery that the surgeon senses how much pressure the body responds to the system during the operation. Then he can make the modifications required.

7. Medical Marketing

Marketing remains a highly powerful and efficient marketing technique and is the first use of Virtual Realty in all sectors. Recently we built an interface for virtuality in Bayer (although we can’t talk about it unfortunately), in order to market the upcoming product, and the virtual reality initiative is centered on GlaxoSmithKline. In the simulation, migraine sufferers choose the effects of the migraine and give their non-migraine companion a Virtual Reality headset as though there is no discomfort. Headphones are responsible for replicating such migraine symptoms, including blind spots, aura, light sensitivities, pumpkin headaches and uncertainty. In partnership with specialists in migraine and VR-technology, GSK arranged this gathering. GSK has now launched an app update so that anyone can download it on their mobile and check it out

Benefits of using virtual reality in healthcare

Many industries benefit from the use of virtual reality, but health care is a special case. Everyone should go to the doctor’s office at some point. You can’t avoid this. For this reason, implementing virtual reality in healthcare was a good decision. The importance of virtual reality in healthcare has reached its peak and its use is present in many medical fields. The importance of Virtual Reality can be considered from two perspectives, from a doctor’s perspective and a patient’s perspective.

Two together of those bear the identical purpose of an action, to create human beings feel better and happen in good condition. Nevertheless, the use of Virtual Reality from these two angles happens various. While doctors and healthcare personnel who are employed use it for instructional purposes, the person being treated for a medical problem using it as a healing treatment to treat a sign of illness or problem.

Conclusion

As an emerging technology virtual reality affects so many areas in the health sector as well as due to this health sector is become more innovative. Plenty the hard work noticed above happen still fashionable their babyhood Fashionable the coming old age, Virtual Reality will exist secondhand to a greater extent to make or become better the precision or correctness & influence of these process and improve the ability to perform of the member of human species, two together as the care-donor and the patient. Completely merely, the potential for Virtual Reality fashionable the healthcare subdivision happen extremely large, restricted only for one artistry & cleverness of those developments in mind or physically and administer the technology.

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