Virtual reality is changing the healthcare sector in novel ways. It is on the rise and becoming popular day by day. Technology is helping us to experience new possibilities and is making the most unthinkable possible. Generally, we have seen the applications of virtual reality in gaming, but there are many other applications. VR is now used for commercial purposes and as a training tool in the healthcare sector. How about training the staff or treating patients? Yes, all of this is possible with Virtual Reality.
What is Virtual Reality?
1) Training with virtual reality is more effective
Virtual reality is already being used to treat patients as well as train future doctors. VR training experiences replicate real-world work scenarios, allowing healthcare professionals to learn in an accurate and risk-free environment. With VR learning experiences can be repeated and particular tasks practised several times to refine skills to the highest standards possible. Thus, Virtual Reality training can provide an effective, rich, engaging, and interactive educational context, hence supporting experiential learning by actually doing it.
2) Virtual reality can be used remotely
Computer graphics can recreate any part of the body with minute details and with extreme closeness to reality. Furthermore, training can be offered using scenarios that precisely mimic common surgical situations. Earlier, training medical staff was often done on-site, but Virtual Reality has made it possible to train the staff remotely. A Virtual Reality environment needs only be developed once and can be used anytime and anywhere.
3) Virtual reality can be used to collect data
The technology used in VR devices is so accurate and advanced that extensive data analysis is easily possible. From measuring the movements of rehabilitating patients to measuring the accuracy of the motor skills of a surgeon in training, recording data is easier than ever. Hospitals can monitor real-time medical data on a dashboard, making it easier for healthcare facilities to monitor and track patients’ progress and provide personalised advice.
4) Virtual Reality in treating patients
In neurosurgical procedures, for example, VR assists the surgical team in walking through the procedure and rehearsing their planned intervention before the actual surgery. This maximises safety by minimising any risks. Virtual Reality plays a crucial role in surgical robotics, depending on a robotic arm that is controlled by a human surgeon at a console. The doctor depends on the camera positioned inside the body to provide a proper view of the area being operated on.
5) VR can be financially advantageous
One of the advantages of virtual reality is that it is a one-time investment that pays off in the long run. A virtual reality solution is cheaper than most other simulators. And doctors in training, for instance, no longer need costly cadavers to practise on. Additionally, more people can be trained in one go. Once the VR environment is developed, no additional material is required.
