Virtual Reality Replaces Textbooks as Provider Teaching Tool

Healthcare organizations are using augmented and virtual reality technologies to help doctors and nurses gain better insight into challenging treatments.

Augmented and virtual reality have found success as clinical treatments for problems such as pain management, and some healthcare organizations are using the technology to improve the training and education of their doctors and nurses.

The technology provides providers with an immersive experience, learning how to act in normal situations and in emergencies so they can see and act in typical (and not-so-typical) situations. make it possible. One study, featured in Harvard Business Review, found that providers using VR platforms to train for surgical procedures outperformed traditionally trained providers on his 5-point rating scale on the Global Assessment. showed a 230% improvement in

“In today’s rapidly evolving surgical landscape, we need new ways to provide access to experiential surgical education,” said David Geffen, an orthopedic resident at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and author of the HBR article. concludes Gideon Blumstein, “Additionally, approaches to skill assessment need to be formalized to more objectively measure surgeon competence to ensure consistent levels of quality and standardized skill sets in the surgical workforce.”

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is using AR and VR to give future clinicians a better idea of ​​what they will face as they begin their medical careers.

“As part of the resident education curriculum, virtual reality used in combination with physical models provides junior residents with an immersive training environment for learning different procedures,” said Ms. Professor of Surgery Dawn Laporte, MD, says surgery. “Our residents are able to practice and assess their learning both collaboratively and independently.”

“From a residency program perspective, reporting and analysis from the surgical VR platform can be a great tool to benchmark the individual performance, proficiency and progress of residents across different programs, and to identify curricular weaknesses and areas of improvement.” We can also detect it,” she adds. “By shortening the learning curve and increasing opportunities for residents and fellows to learn, train, and repeat practice outside of the operating room, procedural competence and performance can be improved, leading directly to improved quality and outcomes of care.” increase.”

According to Laporte, the technology platform is completely different from the traditional routine of working with cadavers and Sawbones simulation training models.

“There was a learning curve for those new to technology,” she says. “There are challenges in integrating new technologies, so apart from unforeseen technical issues, [there were a few problems with] Encourage use of VR and make sure there are enough headsets available. ”

“It’s important to note that virtual reality is an enhancement, not a replacement for hands-on training,” adds Laporte. “In particular, VR offers the nuanced and aspiring surgeon the unique ability to practice independently and repeatedly for ongoing skill training while minimizing risk and resource utilization. .”

Laporte published a study this April in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) that found that the use of VR technology developed by Osso VR “provides a more convenient and advantageous method of surgical training than traditional reading.” said to have been announced in Similar performance results were obtained compared to physical simulation training. ”

Johns Hopkins will analyze how the platform compares to other training methods in ease of use, comfort, performance, and reliability in simulated VR environments, she said. say.

“As we continue to integrate more VR training modules into our curriculum, we will look to offer bespoke courses to meet individual and residency program requirements,” she adds. “We also introduced variability through the VR module and explored how residents think on their feet when faced with unexpected events, in order to develop skills to anticipate and respond to intraoperative complications. , I look forward to seeing how it adapts.

At the College of Nursing at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi, administrators are using a combination of VR and patient simulation technology developed by Gaumard to help nursing students learn the nuances of supporting childbirth and postpartum care. I’m here.

“It’s very difficult for students to visualize what’s going on,” says Lisa Snell, supervisor of the school’s nursing simulation lab. Using her VR headset and holograms, students not only virtually experience care delivery, but also see what happens inside a woman’s body during childbirth.

“Textbooks are flat, one-dimensional, and often revised,” says Katherine Harrell, an assistant professor at the school. “This gives [students] An opportunity to see what really happens in normal and emergency labor.They learn how to think and react quickly [to emergencies] They might not see it that often, but it might save lives.

According to Snell, the program has proven its worth in preparing nursing students for the real world and will soon be used at a local hospital to help nurses improve their competencies and keep them up-to-date with the latest treatments. Helps keep you in shape.

“Teaching tends to be technical, which can lead to bad habits,” Harrell adds. [through VR], they also learn how to communicate with patients. Sometimes that is the hardest thing. [patient’s] room. “