S C R U B B I N G U P
VR allows medical students to gain hands-on experience in a safe and controlled environment , while AR provides a new way for doctors to visualise complex data sets . Mark McNeill , Business Development Manager , Healthcare , TBI , speaks to us about how these technologies are changing healthcare .
HOW AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY ARE TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE
This is an exciting time in healthcare . While the sector faces a number of serious challenges , including financial and geographical barriers to care for patients and a critical shortage of clinicians , the opportunities are unprecedented too . Technology is accelerating innovations including alternative ways of connecting with patients and colleagues and new possibilities with Augmented and Virtual Reality . healthcare as we know it . Here ’ s a closer look at what ’ s next for AR / VR in healthcare .
Using AR / VR to address a Critical Clinician Shortage
The pandemic exacerbated a preexisting shortage of healthcare workers , which experts call the top patient safety concern in the US . In a letter to Congress , the American
The ability to superimpose digital information onto the physical world ( Augmented Reality , or AR ) or immerse users in a realistic simulated environment ( Virtual Reality , or VR ) are most familiar to people in the context of gaming and entertainment , but there are many clinical applications for these technologies . Currently , there is a significant amount of interest but limited usage in medicine . However , as this technology progresses , we ’ re sure to see the usage increase .
In healthcare , AR / VR application development is still in the early stages when compared to the potential the existing technologies hold for the field . But the challenges healthcare organisations face today are driving providers toward adoption , and eventually , AR / VR will transform
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