The Swell of Virtual Reality in Health Care that Serves as Medical

The surge of Virtual Reality applications in different fields leads to fierce competition among the technology?s adopters. Each sector?s compatibility with VR technology seems to promote more intense engagement over time. One of the strongest adopters whose robust compatibility with VR technology is medical or healthcare sector. Virtual Reality in healthcare is gaining acknowledgment as a reliable tool to deal with medical sectors ranging from medical study to advanced medical healthcare. As the business in applying VR to medical science goes firmly, the only sector which earns more shares and investment than healthcare is entertainment. This shows that Virtual Reality does offer benefits which extend far beyond mere entertainment and amusement.

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Credit: bloomberg.com

VIRTUAL REALITY IN HEALTHCARE ALLOWS MEDICAL STUDENTS TO LEARN EFFICIENTLY
Among numerous reasons which make medical study very expensive, the requirements of interacting with real human or animal bodies for educational purpose is one of the primary reasons. Virtual Reality technology grants the opportunity for medical learners to conduct practice using simulated environment for various training purposes.

It is signified by several universities which have pioneered the utilization of VR technology into medical subjects in high level of formal education. University of Illinois at Chicago has started the campaign by cooperating with a Virtual Reality company in performing medical study through VR. The second party of this essential application is Embodied Labs, a company which offer solutions for VR education in forms of VR workshop, Curriculum integration, customized VR Experience, and subscription to VR library. (Source: http://www.f6s.com/embodiedlabs).

The workshop which is held by both sides is VR workshop called We Are Alfred. This workshop generates virtual circumstance from elder perspective that allows medical students to experience the process and the result of aging in first-person point of view. From this perspective, they are expected to respectively analyze the health factor to develop their cases. We Are Alfred has become one of key products of Virtual Reality in healthcare among the sophisticated development of VR technology applications. According to Embodied Labs? official website, aside from University of Illinois, University of New England and University of Wisconsin?Milwaukee are their current customers.

VIRTUAL REALITY IN HEALTHCARE SERVES AS PAIN RELIEVER
Texas Hospital has become one of the VR technology adopters in treating patients dealing with intense pain. An example is when a doctor in Texas Hospital used a VR headset to immerse a patient with large burns into virtual snowy realm. This application of Virtual Reality in Healthcare shows a good sign of replacement for pain-reliever drugs, such as morphine, with more attainable methods.

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A man with burs all over his body receiving VR pain control treatment. Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

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A patient receiving a VR headset for treatment. Credit: bloomberg.com

VIRTUAL REALITY IN HEALTHCARE CURES PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLNESS
After dealing with severe accidents, people tend to be more wary of similar cases. Unfortunately, there remains a worse condition beyond called Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). People who suffer from PTSD are usually familiar with conditions like having frightening memories about catastrophic events on occasions, becoming introvert, excessive anxiety, and unstable emotional changes. One of the available treatments for this condition is to provide those suffering from the disorder with diversions diversions to their anxiety through rehabilitation using drugs or psychological treatment. In some medical developments, Virtual Reality has become one of preferred methods in easing the suffering patient through immersive experience to divert the discomfort.

The treatment for PTSD patients has also been on projects of Medical Virtual Reality (MedVR) at University of Southern California. MedVR is developing solutions regarding PTSD treatment using VR technology through immersive contents. For more detailed information, visit their website at medvr.ict.usc.edu.

The intersection between VR technology and medical science is one of most attainable privileges from combining technology with science which benefits our daily lives. Virtual Reality in healthcare has become one of VR?s greatest contributions to the civilization.