One day in 2014, I came home from school only to see my uncle fiddling with a small cardboard box on the couch. This wasn’t any old cardboard box, but one that looked like the world’s chunkiest pair of binoculars. He called me over and told me to hold the strange apparatus up to my eyes. Suddenly, I was transported from my living room to the great outdoors. Despite making me quite dizzy, I was able to look around and even move within this unfamiliar place. This thing that I was looking into was a virtual reality (VR) system called the . Now discontinued, the Google Cardboard was a fold-out viewer into which users inserted their phones and were immersed in an alternate reality.
, like the Google Cardboard and Apple’s new , use simulations that allow users to explore and interact with an artificial 3D visual or other sensory environment. These spaces typically resemble reality, with users wearing special headsets to achieve the maximum effect. It is as if you become a character in a video game. Weird, right?
The Emergence of Virtual Reality
VR as we know it was conceived of by filmmaker Morton Heilig in the 1950s. In , he came up with “Sensorama.” was a box-like structure in which users would watch one of five short films created by Heilig. The goal of this device was to activate all the viewer’s senses, fully immersing them in the film they were watching. In 1968, Ivan Sutherland Sensorama and developed what is considered to be the first head-mounted immersive simulation technology. However, it ·É´ÇłÜ±ô»ĺ˛Ô’t be until the 1990s that VR devices would begin to make their mark on the healthcare industry, let alone in day-to-day life.
Once the 2000s rolled around, researchers began to develop VR surgical simulators and training programs to improve medical education and surgical skills. In the 2010s, the technology grew to enhance patient experiences with physical therapy, the treatment of psychological disorders, and motor skill development.
As our societal dependence on technology grows, producing novel ways to incorporate these innovative technologies has become a lucrative industry. VR technologies are no exception. In fact, VR has made a huge mark on the medical world. In 2023, the was valued at 3.2 billion USD. By 2032 it is projected to rise to 46.4 billion USD. Let’s just say, VR is not going anywhere.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind?
Hospitals and other patient-care spaces are often seen as high-stress environments, which in some extreme cases can lead to individuals avoiding them all together. What if this hesitancy was eliminated by the click of a button? VR holds this . In guiding patients through meditation, immersing them in views of nature, or having them play video games, VR may have a role to play in mitigating stress and anxiety levels among high-risk individuals.
VR has gained significant traction in the medical industry on a physical level, too. In a patient rehabilitation context, VR creates immersive environments for users, simulating both everyday activities and physical therapy exercises. Research has found that VR-based rehabilitation programs are perceived by patients to be and than conventional rehabilitation therapies. This is essential for those who require long-term or even life-long physical therapy regimens.
Upper limb rehabilitation has also been shown to be more successful when carried out using VR. In a , researchers found that VR was useful for individuals with upper-limb impairments resulting from several pathologies such as stroke, amputation, Parkinson’s Disease (PS), and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FS). Aiding and rekindling manual dexterity, improving prosthetic control, pain relief, and self-confidence, the review makes a compelling case for VR in rehabilitation.
While there are numerous video games available to patients who are enrolled in VR assisted rehabilitation, an example that may be close to home for many of you is Fruit Ninja. The classic iPad game that many of the younger readers may be familiar with has been shown to be very in enhancing motor skills among upper limb amputees. Patients put on a VR headset, where they see the Fruit Ninja Screen, pictured below.
Example of Fruit Ninja Gameplay
To play within the VR space, users are fitted with a motion sensing device called a Myo armband which is connected to the game via Bluetooth. The primary limb movement that Fruit Ninja targets is fist-making. As such, when patients wear the Myo armband, due to its numerous sensors, when patients make a fist, the fruit on their screen gets sliced. This motion helps to improve the strength of the patient’s forearm muscles. Once patients slice a fruit in half, they earn a point, incorporating a sense of self-competition. This not only enhance motor skills among patients but also provides entertainment in the process.
Learning to Feel
What if VR could be used to teach more than just manual, like surgical procedures and anatomy literacy?
This is what researchers from Kennesaw State University and Augusta University, led by Yi (Joy) Li, argue for. In an to the IJME journal, they make a compelling case for how medical students can learn from VR devices. Having developed a VR application that the experience of having Parkinson’s Disease, Li and her team explore its ability to instill in medical students. While more data must be collected, in a post activity survey completed by the students who used the technology, 98% of the 104 students said that it increased their appreciation of what it is like to live with Parkinson’s, and 81% responded that this activity helped them empathize more with these individuals.
While limited, there is also some literature that looks at the role of VR applications in increasing feelings of empathy towards . The developed applications for this form of empathy education attempt to simulate hearing loss and macular degeneration (vision loss).
While the case for VR in patient experience and medical education on a skill level has proven to be very useful, its role in cultivating empathy still warrants more research. However, VR may be the key to bridging the patient-doctor relationship once and for all.
Eva Kellner is a recent graduate from the Faculty of Arts and Science, with a major in Environment. Her research interests include urban green spaces, urban agriculture, and outdoor community spaces - all as promoters of climate resilience among city-dwellers.
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