A Whole New World: Discussing AR/VR Technology in Healthcare

Healthcare is very physical in nature — doctors need to examine patients, patients go to labs for test results, and the human body is always involved. Perhaps the healthcare system we know today can be transformed into truly virtual care.

4 min readOct 16, 2020

A Whole New World

AR/VR technology is used for patient engagement, psychological relief and treatment to improve physical conditions, body mapping, and data visualization. AR/VR technology combined with RPM creates completely virtual care, where the physician can examine the patient remotely while still capable of viewing the patient’s movement and progress.

For example, AR/VR enhances clinician engagement by enabling better flow of conversation and collaboration. A physician from a rural medical facility will be able to confer with another physician located in a metropolitan hospital without misunderstandings. By providing more training on collaboration for doctors — both in rural and urban settings — AR/VR technology helps to avoid miscommunication between patients and physicians as much as possible.

Driving Forces

X-Ray Vision

XVision by Augmedics is the first AR navigation technology to be used in surgery. Known as “x-ray vision”, the XVision system allows surgeons to view the patients’ anatomy through the skin and tissue and navigate instruments and implants, specifically spinal, more accurately during surgery. A surgery relies on a large team that must communicate and listen to complete the operation successfully. While XVision’s real-time surgical tracking system creates truly virtual care, it also enhances the physicians’ performance in the OR as their skills are leveraged with the platform’s trustworthy and accurate AR/VR technology.

Virtual Rehabilitation

MindMaze developed a platform designed to help those disabled neurologically, mainly stroke victims, recover by retraining their brain using virtual reality, computer graphics, and brain imaging. Their FDA and CE approved digital therapeutics allow patients to interact with engaging content designed to holistically train and assess motor and cognitive function. By approaching neurohabilitation with experience-dependent plasticity, Mindmaze engages their users in getting better on a completely virtual level.

Mapping Homes

Ikea released the Ikea Place app that permits customers to virtually place pieces of furniture inside their homes to provide a clearer idea of how the furniture will look. Furniture shopping involves plenty of collaboration with household members to make the best possible home. By seeing options virtually households can make clear choices about their living spaces. Healthcare can have similar effects when introducing AR/VR: physicians can reduce miscommunication with their colleagues, and will step towards a truly virtual care by examining their patients without any physical contact.

Virtual Reality and Inclusivity

In partnership with Israeli AR company Zeekit, ASOS launched See My Fit, an inclusive AR program that allows customers to virtually try over 800 different outfits. After the customer’s selection, the app digitally maps the product according to the model and the customer’s measurements. See My Fit eliminates any reason for an in-person shopping experience, as the AR platform enables customers to make an even better choice without any physical trying on the clothing. AR/VR works the same way in healthcare — patients in the future will increasingly be able to be treated without physical contact with their physicians.

“Together with Asos, we have a shared mission to make online fashion as personalised and easy-to-use as possible for customers. With our patented, artificial intelligence-based AR technology powering See My Fit, we can connect the dots between what you see when shopping and what you receive at home, giving customers more confidence in purchasing the products they love.” ~Yael Vizel, Zeekit Chief Executive

Applying Design

Near-Term (12 Months)

Opportunities

Positive Effect from Precision: Medical training can become more precise and accessible when using AR/VR technology. Service design and interface design will be critical for designing such training programs.
Education for all: Rather than relying on anatomical models, patients can become better educated about their bodies and upcoming surgeries with AR/VR technology.

Dangers

AR/VR Hype: AR/VR technology is an exciting innovative tool that can help augment the healthcare system, yet it is relatively new idea that is still finding its footing in being a consistent asset
Many factors for success: Need plenty of money, resources, and trust from investors to produce, manufacture, and deliver these AR/VR technologies
Assets of healthcare institutions: The same level of money, resources, and trust is necessary from physicians and healthcare administrators, which might be only possible for well-designed and well-funded facilities to attain

Long-Term (3+ Years)