CIOInsider India Magazine

A few years ago, only did it occur imaginatively that medical operations and diagnoses could be taught safely and realistically through technology? This is made possible by two cutting-edge technologies, AR and VR, which also help therapists address phobias like claustrophobia, driving phobia, fear of heights, and posttraumatic stress disorder. In order to give patients the best care possible, these smart glasses and head-mounted devices also help clinicians with surgical simulation, 3D spinal anatomy imaging, and other tasks.

The advent of AR and VR tools like Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap has created new possibilities for the healthcare sector. Extended Reality (XR) technology refers to these immersive visual technologies that blend real and virtual environments. While Augmented Reality involves superimposing virtual environments or items on real-world environments to improve contextual meaning, Virtual Reality allows users to fully immerse themselves in a virtual environment.

According to Research and Markets, growing smartphone penetration and broad internet connectivity are predicted to propel the overall market size for AR/VR in India to increase at a CAGR of 38.29 percent to $ 14.07 billion by 2027. This trend is anticipated to continue.

The use of AR/VR in healthcare is anticipated to be a long-lasting and disruptive force in the future, improving practitioner and patient safety and spurring innovation. Let's examine in detail how augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) might benefit the healthcare sector and why these tools are seen as the future of therapy.

Immediate Diagnostics
Virtual reality (VR) is already being used in the healthcare sector for immersive visualization. There are numerous other applications of VR that aid medical professionals in obtaining a three-dimensional picture of medical imaging. They gain a complete insight of the patient's medical state as a result.

By merging its evolution into mixed reality, the use of augmented reality in healthcare diagnostics is providing the sector with real-time visualization capabilities.

For instance, MR glasses can be used to overlay digital images on a patient's body and assist the doctor in performing real-time analysis. Also, if necessary, patients can use these devices to view their scans in real-time to have a clearer understanding of their physical state.

More Effective Medical Training
Virtual reality is accessible to assist medical students experience ideas like the virtual portion of the body since researchers have discovered that traditional training techniques are tedious and ineffective for them. There are already augmented reality-assisted operations available as far as augmented reality's applications in healthcare are concerned.

The first surgical augmented reality technology adds a 3D model so the surgeon may view the patient's anatomy, skin, and tissue through his beam vision. A holographic augmented reality platform that a digital healthcare startup has created gives surgeons access to patient data and visualizations while they perform surgery.

The platform enables doctors to examine 3D photographs of particular anatomical structures to guarantee the surgical procedure's success. Several elements of healthcare are improved through self-care, well being, therapy, surgery, virtual reality, and augmented reality.

Performing Surgery Using Image Guidance
The usage of mixed reality assists doctors in performing surgery with more accuracy when compared to traditional procedures. During performing the procedure, the utilization of MR devices can give surgeons real-time information on the patient's physical condition. This is due to the fact that a mixed reality system offers a thorough, three-dimensional image of a patient's physical condition.

This kind of arrangement provides surgeons with specific information that enables them to make an educated decision to save a patient's life during surgery. This finally results in difficult surgeries being performed with a high rate of success.

Enhancing Patient Experience
The establishment of a doctor-patient connection is a crucial component that contributes to their mutual trust. Only when doctors communicate in a clear, succinct, and effective manner will patients be able to trust them. Moreover, mixed reality contributes to its more immersive establishment. For greater comprehension and clarity, doctors find that providing detailed explanations to patients is helpful. Reduced response times and increased surgical precision are two benefits of using MR in the healthcare industry. This finally results in efficient treatment and a positive patient experience.

Entertainment for Patients
People don't particularly enjoy being in hospitals. Despite the fact that they are there as they have to be, uncertainty can be upsetting and distressing. In addition, hospitals can be plain terrifying for children.

When it comes to providing patients with entertainment, medical facilities can make use of technology like VR and AR. They include games for children, VR stories, and adult orientations. Through the use of these technologies, educational content can also be distributed, such as messages to parents and children about the need of getting immunizations on time.

Additionally, there may be other educational topics that can be targeted, such as the value of a balanced diet, how certain pieces of medical equipment, like an X-ray, operate, etc. Many hospitals already have children's play rooms that are outfitted with immersive technologies like VR and AR, which can be highly useful.

Supporting Health Professionals
By accelerating the diagnostic process, streamlining treatment time, enabling individualized patient experiences, and enhancing outcomes, mixed reality helps healthcare professionals to rethink and renew the healthcare sector. The spike in clinical research demonstrating effective mixed-effects patient therapy generates positive patient and healthcare professional reactions and is anticipated to drive market expansion. Sales growth will improve during the projection period due to increased research activities and studies that point to the utility of mixed reality in treating some conditions, including pain management and mental health.

Thanks to an AR headset, a nurse will soon be able to quickly read your diagnosis. All areas of the healthcare industry will be impacted and improved by mixed reality, whether it's training medical professionals or students in new skills, identifying and diagnosing diseases, or giving patients the finest care possible. Also, mixed reality will undoubtedly raise the standard of patient care, which is what the healthcare sector seeks to achieve in the end.

Yet, the current generation of mixed reality applications that are being used in the field of medicine today are typically overlooked in discussions about the potential of these technologies.