Augmented and Virtual Reality in Healthcare

3 min readSep 17, 2023

The healthcare industry is reforming in many ways and trying to integrate advanced technologies with the services to provide better experiences. The recent technological innovations that took momentum are augmented and virtual reality. Augmented Reality and Virtual reality have a wide range of applications in healthcare, transforming how medical professionals provide care, how patients receive treatment, and how medical education and training are conducted.

Augmented Reality is the real-time integration of digital computer-generated information with the real-world environment, often by using a camera or a smartphone. It can be a combination of real and virtual worlds, real-time interactions, and accurate 3D registration of virtual and real objects. Augmented reality uses different formats to deliver the experience such as smartphones, tablets, heads-up displays, projections, and glasses.

Whereas virtual reality completely immerses users in a virtually created environment. The experience of virtual reality is created with software in such a way that users believe that the presented virtual reality is a real environment. The VR uses VR headsets equipped with simulated visuals and audio, that fit over the user’s head.

Here are some applications of AR and VR in healthcare:

Medical Training and Education

Surgical Training: Surgeons can use VR simulations to practice and refine their surgical skills, reducing the risk during real surgeries.
Anatomy Education: AR apps can create 3D anatomical models over physical textbooks or cadavers, enhancing medical students' understanding of human anatomy.
Product Education/Training: AR can be used to give product knowledge and instruction on how to use the product. One example is an emergency CPR device.

2. Surgical Planning and Visualization

3D Visualization: Surgeons can use AR and VR to visualize complex surgical procedures, enhancing preoperative planning and decision-making.
Surgical Navigation: AR can provide real-time guidance during surgery by overlaying critical information on the surgeon’s field of view.

3. Pain Management

Distraction Therapy/Physical Therapy: VR is used to distract patients from pain during medical procedures, reducing the need for sedation or pain medication. VR-based exercises and games can make physical therapy more engaging and effective for patients.

4. Rehabilitations

Physical Rehabilitation: VR-based exercises can help patients recover from injuries or surgeries by making rehabilitation more engaging.
Cognitive Rehabilitation: VR is used for cognitive therapy in patients with neurological conditions like stroke or traumatic brain injuries.

5. Medical Imaging and Diagnosis:

3D Medical Imaging: AR can assist radiologists and surgeons by providing 3D visualizations of medical images, improving diagnostic accuracy.

6. Medical Device Development:

AR and VR are used in the design and testing of medical devices, such as prosthetics or orthopedics implants, by visualizing their use in real-world scenarios.

AR and VR continue to evolve and offer innovative solutions to improve healthcare services. However, implementing AR and VR in healthcare faces several challenges despite the promising benefits these technologies offer.

Costs: AR and VR hardware software can be expensive, making it a significant investment for healthcare institutions.
Content development, validation, and integration with the existing system: Creating quality, medically accurate, and user-friendly AR and VR content that aligns with medical standards and regulatory requirements is challenging. Integrating a solution with existing healthcare IT systems can be complex.
Data Security and privacy: Compliance with regulations like HIPPA(US regulations) is essential.
Maintenance and support: Keeping AR and VR systems up to date and in good working condition requires ongoing maintenance and support, which can contribute to more cost and resources.

As technology matures and best practices are established, many of these challenges may become more manageable.

References:

Augmented and Virtual Reality in Healthcare

Written by PRACHI SAMARTH