Extended reality (XR) has the potential to reshape experiences for both patients and practitioners in the world of healthcare.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote and digital health services, such as virtual wards and video consultations.
During this time, the XR industry was also expanding, demonstrating its ability to offer patients novel ways to access health services.
XR is a blend of virtual (VR) and augmented realities (AR). My colleague Murray Lippiatt has written a more detailed explanation of XR and its various uses, if you need a briefing.
At SPARCK, we’ve been exploring the potential of XR and have come up with a range of ideas for how it could work in healthcare.
XR for patient experiences
In design for healthcare, patients always come first. Extended reality (XR) opens up vast possibilities for enriching patient experiences, without reducing the quality of care they receive.
Exploring healthcare environments
XR technology could allow patients to virtually explore healthcare facilities before they even step foot inside. This might be particularly beneficial for individuals who experience anxiety about medical environments or procedures.
In primary and secondary care settings, patients experience emotional distress, which can also be influenced by additional stress factors such as finances, discrimination, workplace stress, and physical stressors.
By using VR tours, patients could familiarise themselves with the layout of a hospital, the process of undergoing certain procedures, or what to expect during a stay.
This pre-visit exploration helps demystify the healthcare experience, making it less intimidating and more accessible to everyone, wherever their physical location.
More prosaically, in some of Sparck’s work on NHS Find-a-service, users said they wanted to check out whether GP surgeries had parking facilities and whether there were ramps into reception. They were currently using Google Street View for this – but could XR be better again?
Enhanced clinical trials
XR could also have an impact on preventive care through clinical trials.
By creating controlled, virtual environments, we could allow new treatments and therapies to be tested more safely and more efficiently.
This would not only accelerate the creation of new medical interventions but also make clinical trials more inclusive.
Participants from diverse backgrounds and locations, or with different access needs, might more easily join virtual trials, ensuring a broader data set that reflects a wide range of patient needs and responses.
Physical rehabilitation and therapy
For patients going through physical rehabilitation and therapy, VR and AR applications could be used to guide them through exercises.
They’d get more precise feedback, and therapy sessions might feel more engaging and effective. Think of the success of guided exercise services such as Peloton.
Better access to supported therapy could be especially crucial for people who face challenges in accessing regular therapy sessions because of mobility problems or geographical isolation.
XR-based therapy could not only enhance the quality of rehabilitation but also ensure that more patients can receive the care they need when they need it.
XR for healthcare professionals
Extended reality can not only help patients but also offers potentially transformative opportunities for healthcare professionals.
VR healthcare training
Virtual Reality (VR) training can allow health professionals to practice procedures and patient interactions in a risk-free, virtual environment. It’s been found that VR training is 4x more effective than in-person training.
This immersive training could replicate a range of clinical scenarios, from routine examinations to surgical procedures.
That would provide invaluable (virtual) hands-on experience without the ethical concerns or logistical challenges of practicing on real patients.
There’s also some evidence that VR training accelerates learning, improves retention, and can lead to higher-quality patient care in the long term.
VR in EMS and nurse training
VR technology could serve as a high-fidelity ‘flight simulator’ for accident and emergency (A&E) personnel and nurses, immersing them in realistic behavioural health scenarios.
They might journey through virtual simulations that mimic real-life challenges, from managing mental health crises to delivering compassionate care.
This would ensure they were better equipped to give compassionate, effective care in real-world situations.
Immersive cultural competency training
Awareness and understanding of the diverse backgrounds of patients are key for healthcare professionals. XR has the potential to offer a unique form of cultural competency training.
Imagine a virtual setting where a doctor, through a VR headset, enters the home of a patient who practices a different religion or follows unique health-related customs.
The program guides the doctor through a series of interactions, from discussing dietary restrictions based on religious beliefs to respecting cultural practices during examination and treatment.
This immersive experience challenges the doctor's assumptions, highlights the importance of sensitive communication, and demonstrates the impact of cultural awareness on patient trust and the effectiveness of treatments.
Enhanced doctor-patient interactions
Finally, XR technologies might enrich doctor-patient interactions.
Through VR and AR, doctors could explain complex medical conditions and procedures in a visually intuitive way, helping patients understand their health better.
For instance, a doctor could use AR to project a 3D model of a heart into the consultation room, allowing a patient to see exactly where their problem lies and how a procedure will be performed.
Using VR, a patient could wear a headset to virtually journey through their own digestive system, guided by their doctor to understand a diagnosed condition like never before.
This clarity could not only boost the patient's confidence in making decisions but also foster a deeper connection and trust with their healthcare provider, ultimately enhancing the quality of care received.
And, again, more simply, it might allow telephone or video consultations to become virtual face-to-face conversations, allowing both parties to see facial expressions and read each other’s body language.
Excitement versus ethics
Extended reality has huge potential to redefine healthcare and, personally, I find it pretty exciting.
But we need to make sure these technologies are accessible, that we implement them ethically, and that they are truly beneficial to all.
