Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Technologies are Transforming Healthcare

Technology in the year 2018 has already more than surpassed the incredibly innovative technological advances made throughout the previous year. New technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have been showcased around the globe on some of the world’s biggest stages, like the recent Winter Olympics in South Korea.

While these technologies continue to make their way into our daily digitized lives, we can expect to see them very soon and much more often in nearly every single aspect of modern society. AR and VR technologies have already made their way into the manufacturing industry, the media and entertainment industry, and the retail industry. It would be ignorant to assume that augmented reality and virtual reality technologies would not also make their way into the healthcare industry.

In recent years, the healthcare industry has recognized the incredible benefits these innovative technological advances can offer to both physicians and patients. Just like the other previously mentioned industries, healthcare has followed suit and is continuously implementing AR and VR technologies into daily operations throughout hospitals and clinics.

How Can AR and VR Technologies Benefit The Healthcare Industry?

As Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies continue to be infused into the healthcare industry and revolutionize medicine as we know it, they have the potential to make a profound impact.

Augmented Reality in healthcare has provided physicians and additional healthcare workers the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the care of their patients. AR technology, such as AR glasses, allow the wearer to view patient information while keeping their hands free to utilize gesture technology and issue commands to other applications. In addition, AR technology can be formatted to work as a preventative and diagnostic tool for doctors to use when determining care plans for their patients.

AR technology can also be used by surgeons for surgery training and preparation. Simulations of brain surgeries, spinal surgeries, or tumor resections can be practiced by surgeons down to the detail so that they are well prepared to provide the very best surgical care for each individual patient. In addition, AR technology is very useful for surgery assistance. For instance, AR technology can be used to display vital signs, patient records, and instructions/procedures for surgeries. The goal of implementing this innovative approach is to achieve a higher success rate for each surgery and to ensure the very best outcome for every patient.

How Can Healthcare Providers Use Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality has been infused into and more widely practiced in the healthcare industry for longer than most realize. Doctors in Connecticut have been using VR technologies to help treat elderly patients who suffer from dementia by providing patients with an immersive virtual reality healthcare experience geared towards unlocking memories and improving overall cognitive function.

VR can also be used by practicing physicians, doctors, and surgeons as a means for an immersive training program to conduct everything from surgeries to standard treatment protocols. In addition, Virtual Reality technologies are continuously developed and innovated to perform new tasks and functions that can also be applied and further researched for future use within the healthcare industry.

As 2018 continues, it is safe to say that augmented reality and virtual reality technologies are here to stay, especially in the healthcare industry. Already, these two emerging and innovative technologies have improved the overall workflow for physicians and doctors, as well as the treatment protocols of patients. These two technologies alone have effectively initiated healthcare’s transformation into the digitized modern world.