50+ Application of VR in Healthcare | Use of Virtual Reality in Healthcare

The use of virtual reality in healthcare has taken the world by storm over the last four years, and the trend is only growing in popularity. VR/AR technology is on the rapid rise, and the medical industry is using it to improve human health in futuristic ways. Rapidly emerging technology is altering our perceptions of the world and the way different sectors work. Although virtual reality has changed the gaming business, it is no longer limited to that industry. Various sectors are developing newer ways and processes to better their operations by incorporating the latest technologies.

There have been several dialogues and discussions concerning virtual reality in the healthcare business, with numerous virtual reality apps already in use. Robotic surgery, healthcare equipment, and other applications are slowly gaining popularity, and they are becoming more likely to be embraced by many healthcare organizations and approved by the general public. We discussed virtual reality and its uses in healthcare in this post.

Virtual Reality Used in the Medical Field

• Conditions that may benefit from VR use in children may include
• Neurological diagnoses that may benefit from the use of virtual reality
• Orthopedic conditions that may benefit from the use of VR

10+ Practical Virtual Reality Applications in Healthcare In 2022

Applications of Virtual Reality in Healthcare Education

Healthcare is one of the top three businesses that will continue to be early adopters of virtual reality technology through 2025, according to Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research. For a long time, virtual reality simulation technologies have been employed in medical education and training. Major virtual reality (VR) businesses are working on products that integrate 360-degree video with 3D interactive information to create the finest possible learning programs for doctors and students.

According to Accenture, 82 percent of healthcare professionals feel that virtual Reality provides a simple alternative for medical students and healthcare professionals to access and understand the healthcare industry, treatment, internal body structure, etc. According to the agency, virtual reality healthcare services would be welcomed by 62 percent of patients as an alternative to traditional healthcare.

Top Internet of Medical Things Companies Worldwide

Virtual Reality Applications in Healthcare

1. Surgical training.
2. Pre-surgical planning.
3. Medical device marketing
4. VR for Pain Management
5. VR for Physical Therapy
6. VR for Distracting Patients
7. VR for Cognitive Rehabilitation
8. VR to Aid in Complex Operations
9. VR for Healthcare Professional Training
10. VR for Treatment of Psychological Disorders

With the help of AR VR, Doctors can practice complex, life-saving procedures in a risk-free environment, improve their skills, and receive usability feedback all while using this technology. Virtual Reality is now making advances in the nursing field.

Virtual Reality Used in the Medical Field & Treatment

VR helps surgeons eradicate practical skill deficiency faster by executing various sorts of mock surgeries in the virtual space. Without the usage of expensive one-time-use mannequins, surgeons can become proficient professionals.
The most common application of virtual medical reality is in surgery.

It isn’t easy to imagine another profession of medicine in which imaging and practical options for doctors’ activities are more important. No dummies can compete with virtual reality smartphone apps in terms of plausibility. Nothing will endanger actual patients since interns will learn how to perform nuanced and complex procedures, increasing accuracy, decreasing the likelihood of errors, and reducing postoperative problems.

Virtual Reality Applications for Minor Treatment

• Virtual reality in Dentistry
• VR treatment for PTSD
• Virtual reality in Nursing
• Body Mapping
• Autism treatment using VR
• Surgery simulation using VR
• VR for the disabled
• VR in phobia treatment

A surgeon performs a virtual surgery in a virtual operating room using haptic controls. From beginning to end, software guides users through the required procedures, allowing them to recall the proper sequence of events. The VR app can also be used to educate patients about the surgery process.

1. Use case on How VR AR Improving Dentistry

VR uses smart glasses to provide visual instruction to the dentist to perform the required task.

Virtual reality can also help prospective and experienced dentists sharpen their abilities and adapt to new instruments in dentistry. They can analyze 3D models and textures of teeth, jaws, and mouths using virtual reality technologies. MOOG’s haptic technology is an excellent example of a virtual surgeon simulator. This virtual environment offers the most realistic modeling of dental processes and a wide range of diseases, issues, and treatment options.

We can learn about the anatomy of the mouth and teeth through 3D imaging. Before being implanted in the mouth, it initially familiarises the clinician with the patient’s tooth anatomy. As a result, it appears to be an appropriate strategy for teaching and learning dental professionals and students. In the past, new dentists have reported feeling pressure during the drill. Thanks to VR technology, the dentist may now get a lot of experience and feel free while doing the treatment. This technology can be utilized on the computer screen to recommend a dental treatment plan with VR technology. It is the most common use of virtual reality used in the medical field.

2. Virtual reality for pain management 

Virtual reality (VR) is rapidly revolutionizing the healthcare business, affecting how patients and professionals receive and provide care.

These days, virtual reality programs are about more than just entertainment. See how AR VR headsets can be used to track, monitor, and treat your pain and related symptoms.

Only as an FYI, Many app development companies have created apps aimed at treating chronic pain with virtual reality (VR) devices that provide an immersive, gamified therapeutic treatment regimen.

3. Pain Management For Pregnant Women with VR

VR can help distract people from their pain

Some pregnant women are using virtual reality headsets to help them cope with the discomfort of childbirth. In 2017, burn sufferers began to use virtual reality gaming to help them cope with the severe pain of having their bandages changed. Virtual reality (VR) may be worth investigating if you suffer from migraines, fibromyalgia, or another chronic pain condition. It’s commonly used in palliative care and with hospitalized patients, but it could also be helpful for pain control at home.

According to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, patients who used virtual reality programs could dramatically reduce their pain scores without experiencing any adverse side effects or changing their vital signs.

4. Virtual Reality Rehabilitation – The Future of Physical Therapy

With VR-based therapy, tasks can be personalized to the patients’ demands, such as mimicry or video-game-like exercises. Virtual reality has the advantage of virtually unlimited possibilities. Virtual worlds may be tailored to the individual’s cognitive and physical limitations, which is vital for optimizing brain restructuring and reactivating those brain areas involved in motor planning, learning, execution, and maintaining engagement.
A patient’s training regimen is kept in the software database, and the VR app guides them through it. A therapist can alter the program and control the results, either using the app’s analytics feature or by attending the VR session as an instructor digitally.

5. VR for Physical Therapy (Virtual reality-based physical therapy for patients with lower extremity injuries)

The use of virtual reality in healthcare is not limited to Surgery and medicine only. VR technology is equally useful in physical therapy.

Common orthopedic conditions that may benefit from the use of VR may include

1. Ankle sprains
2. Shoulder pain and impingement
3. After ankle, knee, or hip surgery
4. Back pain, neck pain, and associated radiculopathies
5. Chronic pain management

Neurological diagnoses that may benefit from the use of virtual reality in physical therapy

1. Parkinson’s disease
2. Multiple sclerosis
3. Stroke
4. Cervical myelopathy
5. Spinal cord injury

Conditions that may benefit from VR use in children

1. Cerebral palsy
2. Autism
3. Hypotonia
4. Attention deficit disorder
5. Developmental coordination disorder
6. Developmental delay

You might benefit from VR technology if you’ve had an injury or disease that causes pain or limits your functional movement.

Patients can choose from various activities in virtual physical therapy, ranging from general orthopedics to injury recovery. Taking a unique and enjoyable approach to treatment will help you stay interested in your rehab program. If your therapy is pleasurable and fun, you are more likely to stay motivated. Virtual reality rehab could be just what you need to get you to go to physical therapy.

6. Use of Virtual Reality Therapy for Phobias

Virtual reality therapy for phobias is now available, providing patients with a high-tech, cutting-edge alternative for overcoming their fears and leading a better life. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a promising therapeutic option for those afraid of driving, horror, heights, spiders, water, fire, or anything else. The current pilot study is the first to look at VRET’s behavioral effects on patients who fear driving, as determined by a post-treatment driving test in real traffic.

This is just one of much virtual reality (VR) therapies that are now in development or use for mental health issues. VR has been used in mental health treatment since the mid-1990s. Still, recent advancements in headgear capabilities and cost reductions have made it more feasible and accessible, and VR-assisted therapy research is blossoming.

Anxiety disorders are the most well-known application of VR-assisted therapy. For mild phobias in which a person has just one main fear, virtual reality can gradually and securely expose the person to that fear.

7. Virtual Reality To Cure Mental Health Crisis

Virtual reality is now being considered by doctors as a possible remedy (VR). Most people associate virtual reality with gaming—a device for bored teenagers to play first-person shooter games in their parents’ basement. However, experts worldwide have been discreetly uncovering the surprising health benefits of virtual reality for various disorders, including severe pain, PTSD, substance abuse, and existential dread, for decades. Over 5,000 studies show that virtual reality (VR) has an uncanny ability to reduce pain, calm nerves, and improve mental health—and, best of all, it can be used at home without the assistance of a skilled doctor.

8. 10+ Application of Virtual Reality in Medicine

Conclusion

Virtual reality is positioned to expand its footprint in the present and future. It allows for the more efficient diagnosis, training, teaching, and treatment of complicated disorders than has ever been possible before. It provides a safe environment for patients and practitioners to communicate and collaborate without the need for pharmacological or invasive treatment approaches. All while making a significant contribution to medical research. So virtual reality is used very aggressively in the medical field and for a better world.

There’s still a lot to learn about the potential of virtual reality. While exploring virtual reality applications, another important consideration is to choose the best shoes for standing all day nurses, ensuring comfort during long shifts. The right footwear can significantly impact a nurse’s well-being and productivity.

Additional research is needed to investigate the effect of VR in a range of surgical procedures, as well as its potential therapeutic usefulness in enhancing function, postoperative recovery, and reducing long-term pain medication consumption. The rising idea that therapeutic VR can safely and efficiently alleviate severe pain in hospitalized patients is backed up by a new study from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Patients with moderate to severe pain who wore virtual reality headsets reported a significant reduction in pain perception.

While the specific reasons why virtual reality headsets lower pain signals are uncertain, many experts believe that virtual reality distracts people from pain by immersing them in a different experience.