The Role of Extended Reality Technology in Healthcare Education

The use of extended reality (XR) technologies is increasing rapidly in a wide range of industries from gaming to aviation. In this article, we examine the role of XR technology in healthcare education have unique attributes that can improve learning outcomes when compared to traditional learning approaches, however, there is presently a shortfall in learner-centred implementation of XR technologies in healthcare education , where these technologies have the potential to cause a paradigm shift.

Introduction

Immersive technologies are gaining a lot of traction in recent years, all credit to rapid technological advancements. Half a decade ago, many recognized XR technology as a tool limited to the gaming and entertainment sector. However, much has changed after the Covid-19 pandemic, and XR technology is creating waves in diverse fields, including healthcare. A report states the international augmented and virtual reality market in the healthcare sector will reach $10.82 billion by 2025, increasing at a CAGR of 36.1% from 2019-2025. The role of ER in healthcare education is beginning to take shape.

What is?Extended Reality?

Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term used to define all kinds of immersive technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR).

These emerging technologies are bridging the virtual and physical worlds by mixing the real world with computer-generated elements, hence, making a completely immersive, distraction-free virtual experience.

The Role of ER in Healthcare Education

Adopting XR technology in the healthcare industry will open up new opportunities for medical practitioners and healthcare organizations. Following are some use cases of extended reality to elaborate on the role of ER in healthcare education.

Patient Diagnosis

What if healthcare professionals could scan a patient's body and detect health issues right away? As impractical as it is sounding, with the use of XR technology in healthcare, this is possible. Doctors will be able to use immersive technologies and 3D models for pinpointing a patient's health condition. XR applications will be helping to detect complex issues such as tissue degeneration, arthritis, tumors, fractures, etc.

Further, XR technology also provides pre-surgical data. Extended reality offers realistic 3D visualization, facilitating doctors to analyze better before making incisions.

Practicing Surgery

In most professions, people need hands-on practice sessions for exceling in their field of work, and surgeons are no different from others. Medical practitioners require years of practice before they become qualified for operating on patients. However, practicing on real-life patients is filled with risks, and one wrong move will be causing severe harm. One alternative is to practice on cadavers, however, cadavers do not reflect the experience of operating on a real-life human.

Fortunately, the role of XR technology in healthcare education offers a solution to this problem by allowing learners to sharpen their surgical skills in immersive simulations without harming any individual. Using XR simulations, students will be able to practice multiple times and learn from their mistakes without concern about the consequences.

Psychotherapy

Mental health issues are rising globally, and the need for viable solutions for combating mental health crises has risen. XR technology is offering several benefits in treating psychiatric disorders and mental problems. Immersive technologies are helping therapists place patients in a virtual and safe environment. Controlled XR simulations are allowing patients to cope safely with their feelings and behavior. Augmented reality exposure therapy (ARET) and virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) will be helping patients to overcome all kinds of mental conditions ranging from stress disorder to social anxiety to PTSD.

Teaching Anatomy

The role of ER technology in healthcare education will also simplify teaching anatomy. The human body is a complicated arrangement of muscles, bones, nerves, and other components. Medical students usually rely on monotonous lectures for studying human anatomy and usually have a hard time visualizing it. Implementing extended reality for teaching anatomy is becoming more popular among medical schools, as immersive XR visuals are able to replace cadavers and plastic models for teaching anatomy. With interactive 3D image projections and XR technology, students can easily visualize and comprehend human anatomy and 'take apart' each body part for studying it individually.

Remote Assistance

The role of ER technology in healthcare education applications helps doctors across the globe for collaborating during operations or have an effective virtual meeting for discussing any medical issue. You do not require to wait for specialists for traveling to your location from distant locations. Implementing XR, you are able to connect with expert practitioners in an instant. A report shows that 82% of healthcare professionals agree that XR solutions are allowing organizations to remove the hurdle of distance in accessing people and providing better services.

Incorporating XR-based remote assistance applications, the specialists can "observe what you are seeing" and help in diagnosing a problem or offer instructions during surgeries even when they are hundreds of miles away from the hospital.

Concluding Thoughts

The healthcare industry is ready for adopting extended reality technology. The opportunities are endless with XR, and it has the capability to enhance healthcare training, mitigate costs, and improve patient satisfaction. As the XR healthcare market continues to increase and as the cost of XR hardware and software decreases, it is safe to anticipate that we will see a considerable increase in the adoption of XR in healthcare?for treating diseases over the next decade and beyond.

Are you looking to integrate XR technology into healthcare? At AeoLogic Technologies , we have a team of experts in immersive technology solutions. We take customer satisfaction seriously and promise to work with you to understand your requirements and form a cost-effective, ingenious solution.