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Rescooped by nrip from Infectious Diseases

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Applications of virtual and augmented reality in infectious disease epidemics with a focus on the COVID-19 outbreak

From www.sciencedirect.com - July 25, 2021 10:31 AM

The pandemics of major infectious diseases often cause public health, economic, and social problems. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), as two novel technologies, have been used in many fields for emergency management of disasters. The objective of this paper was to review VR and AR applications in the emergency management of infectious outbreaks with an emphasis on the COVID-19 outbreak.

It appears that VR and AR technologies can play a positive role during infectious disease outbreaks.

VR and AR have been widely used in the prevention and response phases of emergency management during infectious disease pandemics, such as SARS and Ebola pandemics, especially for educating and training purposes for the public.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, these technologies have the potential to be used in various fields, including

1) clinical context (e.g., telehealth, drug discovery, patient assessment, mental health management),

2) entertainment (e.g., video call, meditation, gaming),

3) business and industry (e.g., holding meetings and conferences, marketing), and

4) education (e.g., in schools and universities, for healthcare providers, and VR-based content for improving public health).

These technologies can be used in the above-mentioned fields by providing their different features for facilitating the challenges of COVID-19.

However, to respond to COVID-19, all applications of VR and AR should be considered as a supportive approach alongside other information technologies.

We believe that VR and AR have a substantial potential to impact the emergency management of COVID-19 or any infectious disease pandemics; however, these potentials need to be studied in a more robust manner.

read the paper ta https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352914821000691

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COVID-19 is VR's time to shine

From www.mobihealthnews.com - June 16, 2020 6:09 PM

The leading digital health narrative emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rise of telehealth and live video consultations as a reliable modality for delivering care.

But have other, younger health-delivery technologies been enjoying a similar rise in adoption? For virtual reality, the answer appears to be yes – with some caveats.

Healthcare VR programs and startups have had to navigate several unexpected roadblocks as a result of the outbreak, leading to a number of in-hospital deployments and research projects being sidelined or modified.

Others have stayed the course or even flourished, with at-home and remote-care deployments in particular finding little need to slow down.

The broader healthcare industry's recent ideological shift toward digital health technologies has stakeholders of all kinds anticipating a long-term boost to the adoption of VR for care.

"Everyone is talking about telemedicine as sort of the solution to overcoming the physical barriers between patients and their providers, and there's no doubt that's taken off in a big way ... but there still are very important limitations to that that VR can help overcome,"

"It is an opportunity for VR to shine right now – if we can figure out how best to do it."

read the original unedited article at https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/depth-despite-some-hiccups-covid-19-vrs-time-shine

nrip's insight:

this is the time for digital health to be adopted with an open mind, for its pros, for its ease of use, for its simplicity, for its long term cost benefits.

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Move Over, Zoom, Holograms Are Next

From www.informationweek.com - May 11, 2021 4:02 AM

Holograms are 3D video images of real people doing stuff such as presenting or performing "live" somewhere (albeit in digital holographic form).

It’s now possible to "beam" to a remote conference stage to deliver a presentation or participate in a panel discussion as if you were there in person. Conversely, several people's holograms can simultaneously present at a conference or in a meeting and interact with each other as well as live presenters or performers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of people thinking about the future of communication and collaboration. While videoconferencing has been the necessary go-to substitute for business travel and working at the office, users complain it's not the same as in-person interactions.

Some organizations are adopting holograms as a new form of virtual presence, and it's making a memorable impact on audiences given its novelty.

Companies in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are similarly using holograms to educate groups of doctors and medical practitioners.

For example, instead of sending them to a posh vacation spot to learn about a new drug, pharmaceutical companies are instead inviting them to hotels for a meal and a presentation that includes the use of holograms. Pharmaceutical companies are able to cut costs and the doctors don't have to allot two or three days just to attend a relatively short presentation.

Holograms aren't just science fiction anymore and their arrival seems to be well-timed, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. There's also an early market "wow" factor that organizations can use to differentiate themselves.

https://www.informationweek.com/strategic-cio/executive-insights-and-innovation/move-over-zoom-holograms-are-next/a/d-id/1340872

nrip's insight:

This article is less about healthcare. But Holograms have a very interesting possible role in how we communicate in the future. And that opens up doors for Medical Education as well as TeleHealth. The perceived experience of a patient receiving home healthcare can be improved using Holograms

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How Virtual Reality is Gaining Traction in Healthcare

From www.healthline.com - June 24, 2016 6:00 PM

Virtual reality has been making headlines for its potential to transform the ways we interact with our environments.

Breakthrough technologies like the Oculus Rift headset have made for incredibly lifelike experiences, notably in gaming and other forms of digital entertainment.

Aside from its boom in the media sector, virtual reality has also emerged as an innovative tool in healthcare.

Both virtual and augmented reality technologies are popping up in healthcare settings such as operating rooms, or being streamed to consumers via telehealth communications. In many cases, virtual reality has enabled medical professionals to execute care more safely and effectively.

As virtual and augmented realities enter the mainstream, the technologies have become more accessible to the general consumer population.

With a $15 price tag, Google Cardboard allows users to stretch physical limits with a smartphone — no extensive scientific knowledge required. That same philosophy is being applied to virtual reality in the healthcare industry, empowering patients to take charge of their health.

Dr. Leslie Saxon, founder and executive director of the USC Center for Body Computing, is leading several initiatives to make virtual and mixed reality more patient friendly.

The center’s Virtual Care Clinic system features an app that connects patients to medical expertise similar to what they would receive at the doctor’s office. The app displays Saxon’s image, guiding users through different courses of medical care.

But patients using the app aren’t interacting with Saxon herself. Instead, they are following instructions issued by a virtual rendering of the doctor.

Using a virtual human agent may seem like a detached method of doctor-patient communication, but Saxon believes it to be the exact opposite. With this kind of technology, she told Healthline, patients could get their questions answered in an environment free from judgment. They can access information on their own time and at their own pace.

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