Virtual Reality is on the rise and becoming more popular by the day. This technology helps us to experience new worlds and make the unthinkable possible. Fighting monsters, living on Mars: anything is possible. Generally, we see the application of VR mainly in gaming, but there are several other application possibilities. Virtual Reality is also used for commercial purposes and as a training or rehabilitation tool in the healthcare sector. Think about training your staff and treating patients. In this article we share with you 5 advantages of using Virtual Reality in healthcare.
Previously, we wrote an article outlining two situations where Virtual Reality offers a solution, namely: educating or training healthcare staff and treating patients with chronic pain. In this article, we already discussed some benefits of Virtual Reality for medical purposes. But, there is more. We would like to share with you five benefits of Virtual Reality:
- Exercising with VR is more fun and more effective
- Virtual Reality can be used to collect data
- Virtual Reality can be used remotely
- Making mistakes in a Virtual Reality training session is no big deal
- VR is scalable and can be a cost-effective solution
Training with virtual reality is more fun and effective
Virtual Reality games are incredibly popular because it gives you the chance to step into a completely different world from reality. Fight monsters that seem lifelike or take a ride on the most exciting roller coaster ever without standing in line. This immersion in virtual reality is called immersion. Immersion makes you feel like you’re in another world and provides a fun and immersive experience.
This is not only the case with entertainment games with monsters or roller coasters. There are also educational VR experiences that give the same degree of immersion. One example is Reducept: a serious game in which patients learn to cope with chronic pain. Immersion helps to make rehabilitation exercises more fun. As a result, the patient does the exercises more often and for longer, making the treatment more effective. And while the patient enjoys the Virtual Reality experience, the healthcare facility collects data on progression through the rehabilitation process.
Virtual Reality can be used remotely
Training medical staff can often only be done on-site. Consider using a simulator or practising on a cadaver. These devices or materials are often scarce and cannot be used at home. Virtual Reality can be used at work, but also from the living room. A Virtual Reality environment only needs to be developed once.
Virtual Reality is also easy to use. Of course, the user must be instructed and familiarize themselves with the product. Fortunately, these processes are completed in no time. It is important that the VR goggles are on your head properly and that they are set correctly. Furthermore, people often do not realize the 3D-view you can have with VR. A short instruction such as “look 360 degrees around you” helps someone to become comfortable with the technology. After that, the user can get started on their own.
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Virtual Reality can be used to collect data
The technology in Virtual Reality devices today is so advanced/accurate that extensive data analysis can be done. Think of measuring movements of rehabilitating patients or the accuracy of motor skills of surgeons in training.
A rehabilitation centre or hospital can monitor data in real-time on a dashboard. This makes it easy for healthcare facilities to track progress and provide personalized advice. Monitoring can also be done remotely.
Making mistakes in Virtual Reality training is not a problem
Certain groups of healthcare workers are often on the front lines, saving lives or improving health. Of course, we want medical staff to work flawlessly to avoid fatal consequences. But, people make mistakes. This can be minimized by properly training staff and keeping their knowledge and skills up to date.
With a solution like Virtual Reality, healthcare personnel can practice infinitely in a fun way. Making mistakes is not a problem, because the exercise can simply be restarted. In this way, medical staff are optimally prepared for their work and fewer mistakes are made at crucial moments.
VR is scalable and can be financially advantageous
Purchasing Virtual Reality glasses and developing a VR environment can be quite costly. Creating a VR environment or VR game takes a lot of time and expertise. The advantage of Virtual Reality is that it is a one-time investment that will pay off in the long run. In fact, a Virtual Reality solution is much cheaper than most simulators. And surgeons in training, for example, no longer need expensive cadavers to practice on.
In addition, more employees can be trained at once. The only limitation in terms of scalability is the number of VR goggles, but this is not an issue because VR goggles are accessible in the market. No additional materials are needed and no extra rooms need to be set up for a staff member because they can also practice at home.
Want to know more about Virtual Reality in healthcare? Contact Tim Laning to discuss it:
