Healthcare will almost certainly become more virtual in the future, but not in the ways you would think. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a potential field of health and science research in recent years. After reading this, some questions occur like, how VR can help to improve your health? How is VR changing the medical industry?
Rapidly growing technology in our environment is altering our perception of the world as well as the way different industries conduct their business operations.
VR changed the gaming industry. Diverse industries are developing fresh ways and processes to make better use of emerging technologies.
History of VR in Healthcare
Immersive virtual reality (VR) technology is becoming more affordable and accessible, and wearable devices are becoming more popular in emerging economies as educational and health-related information becomes more accessible.
Markets are increasingly utilizing wearables as their healthcare infrastructures develop and their access to technology expands.
1956 – Sensorama, invent the first Virtual Reality.
1968 – The Sword of Damocles produced the first VR HMD.
1977 – The Aspen Movie Map allowed users to virtually travel to Aspen, Colorado.
1984 – Jron Lanier launched VPL Research, one of the first VR firms.
1991 – Virtuality released the first virtual reality arcade machine.
1994 – Sega released the VR-1 motion simulator in their SegaWorld arcades.
2007 – Google launched Street View, a panorama-viewing service.
2010 – The Oculus Rift creates the prototype.
2014: Facebook paid $2bn for Oculus VR. & Sony revealed Project Morpheus, a VR headset for the PS4.
2016 – Oculus Rift released its initial generation and Sony made the PlayStation VR(PSVR).
2017 – Microsoft released the Xbox One X, which is a games console and headset that can be used to play games in VR.
2018 – Facebook unveiled camera-equipped ‘social VR’ spectacles, and Lenovo released the Mirage Solo, the first Google Daydream-enabled headset.
2023 – Cloud-based VR gaming will gain popularity, aided by 5G networks.
2030 – According to GlobalData projections, VR will be a $28 billion business, while AR will be a $76 billion market.
How VR Changes the Healthcare Industry
Medical virtual reality is an exciting field with limitless potential. But it has also influenced clinical researchers and real-life medical practitioners, as well as science fiction fans. Even though the technology is still in its early stages, there are numerous examples of VR positively impacting the lives of patients and clinicians.
1) Observing surgical procedures as though you were the scalpel operator
Virtual reality has the potential to revolutionize medical education and learning. Only a few trainees can now peep behind the surgeon’s back during an operation, making it difficult to learn the art.
2) Virtual reality technology is being utilized to help patients and medical personnel deal with stress.
Whether you’re waiting for surgery or doing one, there are applications to assist distract or focus your thoughts.
3) Real-time conferences combined with virtual reality for a more immersive experience
The interactive capabilities of VR, including 3D visualization and gamification, have the potential to increase audience engagement and conference quality significantly.
4) Involvement in the lives of the elderly can be beneficial to physicians
Being able to empathize with patients through virtual reality can assist medical students and young doctors in developing empathy.
5) Accelerating recovery in physical therapy
Machine learning is used to build VR training exercises in collaboration with physicians and therapists. Hence, The aim is to improve patient involvement by making physical therapy more fun.
Benefits of VR in Healthcare
Virtual reality headsets create the illusion that you are in the room, doctor’s office, or anyplace else you choose, making them an excellent tool for enhancing patient care. Also, Virtual reality is an incredible tool for education and training in the healthcare business, as it provides more realistic experiences.
- VR makes working out more interesting and more efficient.
- Using VR data collection will be accomplished.
- Remote use of virtual reality is possible.
- Making mistakes during a Virtual Reality training session is not a big issue.
- Virtual reality is a scalable and potentially cost-effective solution.
- Create 3-D models for more accurate and detailed views than traditional 2D scans.
Getting funding for these new ideas is still a problem in the early stages. Because of the rapid advancement of technology, augmented reality and virtual reality present a tremendous possibility to disrupt current practices. The technology is becoming more affordable, and it certainly helps healthcare providers deliver and patients receive the best possible treatment.
Disadvantages of VR in Healthcare
1. Expensive hardware and software requirements.
To create a realistic experience, most VR in medical uses complicated technology and software. However, it is possible to cut software development costs by using ready-made VR software development kits and game engines, like Unity or Unreal engines and relevant Oculus SDKs. However, it might be difficult to adapt them to use in healthcare.
2. There is a possibility of addiction.
Gaming addiction is already a problem, and experts worry about VR addiction. Additionally, The risk is higher for dementia patients who have trouble identifying and engaging with the real world. The virtual world may be appealing to patients with severe disabilities.
3. A lack of significant trials and a track record of use.
New treatment procedures take time to design, implement, and approve. Because virtual reality technologies are still in the experimental stage, they lack suitable trial runs.
4. Inadequate training is provided
While the illustrative component of virtual reality is incredible for educational reasons, its usage for skill training falls short of real-world experience.
The Future of VR in Healthcare
The popularity of virtual reality is increasing, and this trend is expected to continue. By the end of 2017, there will be over 2 million non-Google VR devices in use and 37 million by the end of 2020. The virtual reality sector is still in its infancy, and growth is expected to be upward only from here.
However, Healthcare organizations are rapidly incorporating virtual reality into their diagnostic, therapeutic, and training processes. This tendency is projected to continue to improve as new technologies and faster Internet speeds become available. In effect, By 2020, the VR sector is expected to reach a huge $30 billion in revenue, with over 135 million VR headsets expected to be used every month by 2025.
