Medical domain is full of complex learning challenges, which includes understanding complex physiological systems, developing expertise to adapt and acquire skills to improve Primary Care Practice. It demands mastery of competencies that facilitate individuals to effectively carry out occupational activities which meets expected standards of the professional environment. Advancement in the disease diagnosis and its treatment, are always bringing something new to learn. Virtual & Augmented Reality is emerging as solution to this hurdle and expanding traditional educational and learning practices where users like PCPs, Doctors and Surgeons can take benefit of this interactive facility to improve healthcare deliveries and perform more precise diagnosis and critical surgeries in coming future.

What is Virtual & Augmented Reality?

Virtual reality is a three-dimensional, computer generated environment in which user can feel real environment in virtual setting, using sound, image and electronic equipment.

Augmented reality is blending virtual reality with real life in real time with the help of graphics, images, data and sound.

How AR & VR can help in PCP Education?

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can be used to improve the learning in real time. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can aid in educating PCP’s, also it can improve patient care through its ability to enhance medical training. Doctors in Miami have already incorporated this device in their daily practice and education. AR & VR are combined with CD imaging to map out complicated heart surgery and providing practical knowledge to trainee doctors to work in real use cases.

Case Study 1: One of the best examples for application of AR is AccuVein, a product of AccuVein Inc., NY, USA. This is a projector-like device that displays a map of the vasculature on the skin surface and can be best real time solution for medical imaging. One can also enhance the experience by using AR Headset gadget like Google Glass (GG) which is a head mounted display (HMD). This will help surgeons to detect the veins of patients very quickly.

Case Study 2: VR generates completely artificial computer-simulated image, which creates virtual environment with real-time interface. One most primitive platform is Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer-Virtual Reality (MIST-VR) which is in use at Mentice Medical Simulation, Gothenburg, Sweden to provide endoscopic training to the trainee doctors and surgeons. A recent analysis of trials showed that when MIST – VR training is provided to the new trainees with no prior experience of any surgery, it resulted in reduction of operative time & error rate during operations and increment in accuracy

How Augmented and Virtual Reality Functions

AR & VR uses virtual technology such as images and sounds to generate Virtual structure of an object which resembles with real life structures. Virtual Reality crafts a computer generated environment so the user can interact and be fully immersed in virtual world and can feel it as same as in normal reality. Augmented reality offers new term called “Touch Surgery” this is an opportunity to provide support for surgeons in the operating room. Augmented reality can also help to enhance the surgical workflow which includes the various steps involved while performing any surgery.

Virtual Reality Supports in Primary Medical Education:

Virtual Reality can play a vital role in delivering Primary medical education to doctors and medical professionals.

For example: Understanding the anatomy and various parts and functions of human body was always taught from the text books and students or PCP has to imagine all concepts in their mind. But due to virtual reality, students and PCPs can experience real-world clinical situations and treatment through VR headset and applications.

Augmented Reality Supports in Critical Operations:

Augmented reality can potentially support in surgical procedures and can play a potential role in enhancing the accuracy of surgeries. Presently surgeons are using imaging technologies such as CT scan or MRI scans to examine pre condition in 2D format, but AR can provide same preconditions and medical history 3D view and that will definitely provides better under-standing of the portion to be undergone for surgery and other medical related processes

Virtual reality is more useful as basic planning and educating tool for PCPS at the same time, augmented reality can probably be best used in the Operation Rooms. Basic devices like Google Glass, Oculus Rift have given us a glimpse of what AR and VR can contribute in medical industry. AR has potential to support surgical workflow, patient safety and can help to create better medical results. Ultimately both virtual and augmented reality offers a different way of use cases in healthcare domain. But the use of VR and AR technologies is still very expensive and developing right content for PCPs learning and other critical trainings is a big challenge and Innoid can help organization though his innovative approach and right technical expertise to execute and implement VR and AR in their medical processes .