Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are gaining significant momentum as leading innovators in medical education, health care and health care delivery. While virtual reality is based in an artificial virtual world, augmented reality, aka spatial computing, is a technology based on a merging of digital and physical spaces.
Augmented reality is an invaluable asset to health care professionals. It allows its users to stay in touch with reality, while providing fast and efficient transfer of information from multiple sensory modalities – think Pokemon Go. Such distinctive features have established augmented reality as a revolutionary necessity in the future of health care, during an era driven by technological innovation.
From video games to medical clinical practice, augmented reality has allowed its users to interact with simulated reality environments. One of my first introductions to the use of such technology in medicine was actually at the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Center for Innovation and Design. Using an Oculus VR headset and the available equipment, I was able to explore further into the nooks and crannies of our bodies on Human Anatomy VR on the Oculus Quest. If you want to get a feel of how dumb I looked while trying to ~explore~ in the Oculus headset, watch this video!
I was surprised to see the precision and amount of detail that could be conveyed using such technological tools, and could only imagine how differing applications of such technological advancements could allow for more immersive medical training and education for aspiring physicians. Currently, new potential applications of mixed reality in training future health care professionals include programs such as Microsoft’s HoloLens and Osso VR’s Surgical Training Platform. “Although there is no hard data, an increasing number of medical schools are using or considering these technologies”, says Warren Wiechmann, MD, Associate Dean of Clinical Science Education and Educational Technology at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. Early adopters of these technologies in medical education have noted the varied benefits of AR and VR, including the opportunity for real-life experiences without real-life consequences.
Mixed reality has already been advancing the medical field through a wide array of practical applications. Current uses of such technology allow for better visualization during invasive surgical procedures, detection of cancer through image recognition and more accurate patient diagnoses/treatments as a result of advances in medical equipment. Last summer, I worked under a reconstructive plastics and microsurgery specialist to help adapt a mixed reality imaging software to diabetic free-flap reconstructive surgeries. The mixed reality imaging allowed for better pre-operative planning, for we were able to gain better visualization of the blood vessels and blood flow to the lower extremities of our patients, while also allowing for the precise assessment and quantification of diabetic ulcer excision margins. Ultimately, through the application of such technology, we were able to further investigate methods that would allow physicians to preserve as much viable tissue while significantly reducing the risk of development of future sores and ulcerations.
Although use of augmented reality, virtual reality and other mixed reality mediums have allowed for numerous medical advancements, we are only on the cusp of breakout ideas and their practical applications. Notably, as health costs continue to rise, the use of technology, such as augmented reality, will play a significant role to help prevent, manage and cure patients, especially those who are members of medically underserved communities. Outside of mixed reality, the increased use of technology can also be used to help create a means for more personalized and accessible medical care. I look forward to seeing how the utilization of such technology, by competent and compassionate physicians, will allow for increased equitable delivery of high-quality patient-centered care, while further improving patient outlooks using advancements in treatment modalities.
~ Tiffany Lee
New Media: Storytelling in Literature, Films, and Games 
Great post! I’ve personally never tried VR technology at all, but I hope that I get the chance someday. Something really interesting to me that you mentioned was that you see VR as a huge opportunity for use by healthcare providers. Traditionally, when I have heard of new technology being implemented in the medical field, it is in regards to new and improved prosthetics. Implementing VR for training of surgeries is something I have never heard of and really relates to the gaming aspect of this class. I’d be really excited to see if this becomes more prevalent in the future.
VR is such an interesting concept. It has been super interesting to watch it evolve in the past few years as I remember watching and being amazed when the first oculus rift was getting crowdfunded. To see how its uses have changed and grown is another amazing aspect of VR. Seeing all of the innovation that has been done in the field of medicine and surgery is impressive to say the least. It goes to show that the creation of new technology can often help more than just the people the original product was built and intended for.
Wow this was a truly moving piece! I normally view videogames as either entertainment, or when they rise up to the level of art, something that can change your perception of the world around you. It hadn’t occurred to me that videogames also present ways to study and implement life saving techniques. Using Augmented Reality for training purposes makes so much sense: all of the interactivity of a patient without any of the potential killing of the patient. I definitely agree with your closing statement that we are just on the cusp of what Augmented Reality has to offer and I’m excited to watch it and you revolutionize the medical field in the coming years!
I absolutely love this post! You wrote about an original and different topic, yet it is still relevant to the information we have learned in class regarding the changes in mediums due to increased technological innovation! As a Cognitive Studies major and Neuroscience major, I was really interested to read this post. I have learned about virtual and augmented reality many times through the lens of this technology as a means of therapeutic intervention. There are many studies showing that VR can help people who are struggling with addiction, depression, and other mental health-related issues. The idea that these technologies can have multiple uses including the training of healthcare professionals is really exciting for the future of medicine.
I honestly never thought that VR and augmented reality could be used to improve medicine until reading this article. I now know about these technologies’ applications in understanding and visualizing human anatomy, but I am wondering how these technologies can be used to benefit pharmacology. One of the most important parts of drug development is both the geometry of the therapeutic and the targeted receptor/ligand. It would be amazing to see a VR version of the game Fold-It as it has produced more viable molecules than predicted by computer algorithms. I am excited to see how these technologies intertwine and evolve with medicine in the years to come.
Wow, I didn’t even think about how VR and AR technologies could be used in medicine. I’ve only ever seen them used in video games for solely fun uses. It’s interesting to think about how mixed reality technologies could be implemented in the real world. I’ve seen silly games like Surgeon Simulator played in VR and thought, “This is totally not made for educational purposes” but I haven’t actually considered games that might be. I really like the idea that you can learn through VR/AR, especially now with the whole pandemic situation underway. Thanks for shining a spotlight on this interesting topic!
It was really interesting to read your comments about the future of VR and AR technology in medicine! I’ve only used a VR headset once and it was a few years ago, but it was still a very unique experience. I remember that I played a horror game on it, and besides the fact that I don’t particularly like horror games, it was really cool to experience VR. It is amazing to read about how far the technology has come in only a few years, and it is even more amazing to imagine where it can go. It is also very fascinating to see how something like this technology could just be used for immersive gaming, but it is also being used to improve medicine and, consequently, the lives of who knows how many people.
I found your article AR and VR fascinating. I’ve always been into VR and have worked with a couple companies that try to apply it to the medical field or to combat. It is always interesting seeing how the technology has progressed and It is even more exciting imagining where it could go. I know many companies are looking for augmented surgery assistance where there is either a hologram within the body helping to direct the surgeon or there is a headset where the surgeon receives various types of information. The educational properties of AR/VR are also prominent showing the potential for public schools to all have some type of AR/VR in the classroom.
This was a really cool and interesting blog post! Being so focused on games, it was eye opening to see other uses for VR throughout the world. This is especially important for the medical field as being able to use this technology to further learn how to help people is amazing. The possibilities for this type of technology advancement are almost endless and it is interesting to see it take form in other medians. These types of things are also used in the sporting world. I personally have taken tests that contain VR in order to determine my depth perception/ awareness/ and reaction time. I truly think it is only the beginning.
I really enjoyed your post because it was very easy for me to relate to it! The way that I have experienced augmented reality in healthcare was as a patient’s family member. My dad had is first hip replacement when I was eight years old, so I was not old enough to understand everything that was going on. My mom asked if I wanted to do a virtual surgery to see what everything was like. I still remember sitting in my living room with my mom making the incision, moving the muscles, cutting out the bone, and placing the new hip into the joint all without any real life consequences. I like how you pointed out in the article that these types of programs have practical applications when it comes to preparing physicians, but they can also be used to bring peace of mind to family members who don’t quite understand what is going on.
It’s cool to see how technological progress has led to advancements in the medical field. I think your points about VR and AR being potentially consequential is especially apt in light of the video where a da Vinci Surgical System was used to perform surgery on a grape, showing the sheer precision of the machine. I’m not entirely certain if the da Vinci Surgical System uses VR or AR specifically, but I’m pretty sure there is a live-feed of video which observes the surgery and provides a real-time view to the operator of the machine in a similar manner to a live AR feed. Regardless, this does bolster your claim that these sorts of technologies merge the digital and physical realms, as the da Vinci Surgical System takes the analog inputs of the light bouncing off the surgery and converts it into a real-time digital display.
Great work Tiffany, your blog post was very thorough and informative. While augmented, virtual, and mixed realities are making a tremendous impact in the health care industry, I wonder what other industries will begin to use these technologies. I have never got the chance to actually try out virtual reality through a headset, but I think it is an extremely innovative invention. I think that in addition to these mixed realities, surgeons will also begin to use more AI and robots during their procedures. The use of AI will eventually have an enormous impact on the healthcare industry.
What a fascinating topic to relate to the gaming world! I got to experience full VR with the Oculus over the summer and it was surreal. Though, I was merely playing games with it, just as I am sure many people’s experiences with AR have been through mobile games like Pokemon Go. Despite the numerous applications of these technologies, how do you think the public will respond when they hear the same technology used to catch a Caterpie down the road is being used to map out their knee replacement surgery? I know many innovations did not begin with very practical applications but evolved over time, but sometimes that process can involve some pushback. I would hope information about the future of this tech will be disseminated much like how you informed the public here, showing the varied yet legitimate areas in which it can be effective.
Woah, great topic! I’ve seen this use of VR in spatial cognition research so that researchers can limit the confounds that go with testing subjects in a real-world environment. I’ve never seen someone compare the use of VR in surgery to Pokemon GO, but the comparison is definitely spot on! As we have transitioned to predominately online learning during this time, I wonder if, in the possibly distant future, VR will be a common addition to some classrooms. Using something like VR for school would be amazing, as I’ve already used it with my brother to play video games. But for now, the use of VR in medicine seems like a great start as you wrote!
This is such an awesome post! It’s amazing how innovations in technology can be useful in so many fields. I’ve gotten to see a short demo of VR with the cardboard goggles and in the same summer I got to experience the mixing of physical reality with the digital world through Pokemon GO. Improved imaging is so important for medicine, especially for surgical procedures and it’s wonderful that this is currently an option. I hope the use of AR and VR becomes more widespread as the technology advances more and can be more readily available to all.
It is so fun to witness the growth of technology in accordance with the development of the game! I totally agree with the potential AR could bring to humanity. I think right now the game has actually merged with society in a way that was never imagined when Ubisoft uses its model of Notre Dame to help restore the actual historical treasure or when people have commercial meetings in GTA V etc. AR has especially brought more possibility to designing and even medical industry. I think right now when we look at games, we should also look at its implication on society.
I think it’s really cool how VR could have real world applications, even as important as performing medical procedures. With visualization becoming increasingly easier to implement in education, it might be a good idea to start including VR into some programs’ curriculums. This would help students get “real world” experience without the serious consequences of messing up. Additionally, I think VR could be implemented in a lot of after-care programs. In cases where a person is confined and incapable of travelling or experiencing normal every day life, they might be able to use VR to help experience what they currently cannot. There are so many applications for VR that we might not even know its full potential until it has become more commonplace.