Impact of Augmented Reality on Healthcare industry
Many professionals think that augmented reality is advanced technology, paving a way towards innovative future. But the reality is AR has its roots back in the 20th century. Ivan Sutherland, the inventor of “Head-mounted display”, who positioned it as a window into the virtual world in 1968 is the inventor of augmented technology. The idea of AR is acquiring the foundation in every market & will be proliferating in coming years.
Augmented Reality is a kind of technology which redefines the space & adds a virtual layer over the things with geographic specificity. It turns the surroundings into a digital interface by creating virtual content in the real world. There is a certain difference between Virtual reality & augmented reality, Virtual reality creates an entire artificial environment, whereas augmented reality uses existing environment & overlays virtual info on top of it. AR integrates the digital info with the user’s environment in real time & thus it looks like it’s actually there in the real world.
Technology creates new ways of innovation with every advancement it goes through. Moreover, whereas AR development is concerned, then the medical and healthcare sectors are progressing significantly. Be it medical training, pharmacy, complex surgeries or patient care, AR is all set to make a significant impact on the entire healthcare industry.
1. Medical Education & Training
The study of human anatomy has always been a boundless subject to analyze as well as research. Augmented & virtual technologies are emerging with reality applications so as to enable medical students to peel away the skin & muscle and keenly observe the functioning & placement of bones & human organs.
The Universities in many countries have developed virtual reality simulators, which incorporates screen as well as haptic sensors. The young doctors are finding it useful for learning about how to perform complex knee replacements, as the simulator does mimic buzzing of saws & drills.
2. Planning complex Surgeries
The research teams over the world are working on technologies for neurosurgery & spine surgery. Brain surgeries are a subject of planning each excruciating detail with nitty-gritty. To help out the professional surgeons to study the surgeries with fine facets, handful of hospitals has initiated working on their procedures with AR technology. Target features such as ability to locate the exact position of tumors, whether it be brain or any other part, the immense important concept is to accurately know the position & operate it in narrow regions/sections of the body.
3. Patient Education
A surgery, treatment or an operation is not only a doctor’s affair, but a patient’s experience also. Whilst the patients are being treated by the doctor, it is very important that the patient knows what he’s actually going to undergo. With the help of AR, it is possible to show the patients, a pre-procedural consent & make them completely aware of their surroundings during the procedure. Medical outcomes are paramount, but still the quality metrics of most of the hospitals are to consider the patient’s experience a key role.
4. Telementoring Surgery
In the midst of a complex surgery, sometimes a situation arrives which pushes the limit of a surgeon’s training & experience. This is a kind of a scary thought for us, yes, but such situations are faced by the military surgeons & other surgeons too in the developing countries. While dealing with such frightening situations, AR tech is like a helping hand at the eleventh hour. Augmented Technology is capable of helping out the surgeons to connect with their mentors in such critical cases. The mentors are able to join the operation virtually and provide the surgeons with valuable advice before anything unexpected happens.
5. Patient care management
Integrated healthcare management also includes patient care. AR equipped gadgets such as google glass can remind patients regarding taking medicines & it also offers information about drugs, its overdose & side effects. This innovative technology can also recommend about the diet of a patient depending on his/her health.
AR apps have the power to drive a remarkable change in the medicine & healthcare industry. There is much more to explore that how this technology is going to make a difference & bring a whole new world in front of us.