Role of Immersive Technology in Healthcare

As the pandemic continues throughout the world and Dubai, hospitals are utilizing immersive technology tools to connect with patients and provide more personalized care to limit physical contact.

And as a matter of fact, immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality can simulate a fully immersive experience or incorporate sensory elements into a real-world setting. And guess what! Multiple new hospitals in Dubai have specialties boosted by the power of immersive technology for helping their patients.

What Is Immersive Technology?

Immersive technology is the convergence of virtual content with the physical environment, allowing the user to interact with the blended reality naturally. In an immersive experience, the user accepts virtual elements as part of the whole, potentially becoming less aware that those elements are not physically present. It consists of three components: augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR).

What Are the Types of Immersive Technology?

Augmented Reality

The concept of augmented reality is that virtual objects and imaginations are projected into the real world, creating a sense of illusion in digital devices.

Virtual Reality

In virtual reality, users get immersed in a completely virtual environment. And, they can only interact with other users in the virtual world, creating a real illusion for them.

Mixed Reality

Mixed reality is a hybrid of augmented and virtual reality in which users can interact with both the digital and physical worlds simultaneously. In special MR devices, users can see their surroundings too.

Extended Reality

Extended Reality (XR) refers to the combination of human and computer-generated graphics in real and virtual worlds. It combines AR, VR, and MR.

Digital Twin Technology

Digital twins are near-exact virtual replicas of physical devices that data scientists use to run simulations before actual devices are built and deployed.

How Immersive Technology Is Advancing Healthcare

Immersive technology has led to tremendous advancement in the field of healthcare.

Here is how we apply it in the healthcare industry:

For Surgical Augmentation

AR in surgical procedures reduces errors and processing times while improving the operating experience by superimposing a digital image on a surgeon's view of the operating area. Since AR images have greater clarity, it reduces surgical errors and increases the success rate for complex surgeries.

For Safe Trails

VR enables surgeons to practise safer trails (drawn on a patient for surgical purposes) and test different procedures for the condition of a single patient. Traditionally, complex procedures are first performed on cadavers or plastic manikins. The use of virtual reality (VR) can increase the success rate of operations while also allowing the discovery of new methodologies.

For Training

Immersive technology is an excellent way to train medical personnel. Because effective training methods lead to sound medical practices, using immersive technology to train our healthcare professionals is efficient.

For Simulation

Haptic technology refers to any technology that can provide a tactile experience to the user by applying forces, vibrations, or motions. It accompanies immersive technology, to simulate touch by applying forces and vibrations. And this gives the impression of complete immersion in those environments to patients.

For Rehabilitation

VR-based rehab allows professionals to diagnose the physical and cognitive aspects of patients. Furthermore, when a patient immerses in VR, parts of the brain associated with pain become less active.

What Will the Future of Immersive Technology in Healthcare Look Like?

Immersive technology would allow students to learn more quickly and effectively. The artificial environment created in virtual reality allows medical students to feel and visualize the nuances of medical terminology. It enables them to analyze concepts and remember them for the long term. Besides, virtual reality would allow them to experience medical terms in depth.

Furthermore, the pandemic has opened up many new avenues for understanding the vast potential of immersive technologies. And many new hospitals in Dubai have already begun to utilize these technologies. The age of immersion has arrived, and the day when these technologies become commonplace is not far away.