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Previously the purview of hardcore gamers, virtual reality (VR) has rapidly moved into mainstream life and is used in almost every industry from retail and real estate to education and, of course, healthcare, where it is regarded as one of the most exciting advancements in modern clinical practice. 

What is VR?

Simply put, VR uses computer technology to create a simulated environment and then places the user inside that environment in highly immersive ways. Rather than simply watching the situation play out on a screen, VR allows the user to interact with the simulated 3D environment. In addition to actions, VR technologies can also simulate different senses such as sight, smell, hearing, or touch.

VR in the Healthcare Industry

Given it’s incredible flexibility and endless versatility, it’s no wonder that this rapidly growing technology has been embraced throughout every sector of the healthcare industry as a means to offer more efficient and effective training to medical professionals and provide higher levels of care to patients. 

It is readily adapted to suit a multitude of medical niches and has vastly improved outcomes for patients with autism, Alzheimers, phobias, lazy eye, chronic pain and a multitude of other health conditions. Fields such as psychology, medicine, neuroscience, physical and occupational therapy, mental health therapy, motor and cognitive skills rehabilitation and clinical skills training have all benefited immeasurably from VR.

VR in Medical Training and Education

VR has had an enormous impact on the level of training available to medical students. In the past, only a handful of students could obtain clinical placements where, primarily as onlookers, they could get an idea of the realities of the discipline they were attempting to master. 

Firsthand Experience Now Simpler than Ever

The limited number of student placements, risks for patients and students, scarcity and costliness of cadavers, and the expense of setting up simulation laboratories, all meant that students could not always get hands-on experience until after they graduated. 

VR provides a cheaper, risk-free and highly accessible means of obtaining this type of hands-on experience. Surgeons use VR cameras  to stream their operations allowing students to view the surgery process as if they were holding the scalpel and follow every move from start to finish.

Simulated VR environments, with virtual patients programmed to respond in realistic ways, make it easier for students to get hands-on training from almost anywhere in the world. Using only a laptop, they are able to practice everything from bedside manner and nursing to radiography and even complex and sensitive surgical procedures in a highly realistic simulated environment.  

Getting a Patient’s Point of View

VR can also be used to help students, medical practitioners and even carers or family members to experience life from the patient’s point of view. VR simulations allow them to experience life as a senior, or as a person with dementia for instance, which helps them to better understand and respond more appropriately to the person’s needs.

VR Mobile Apps Deliver Healthcare Outside the Clinic

VR-based mobile applications have far-reaching implications for the delivery of medical assistance to patients outside of the clinic. 

Once more, the amazing versatility of VR is evident in the immense diversity of mobile applications available that allow people to administer treatments in the comfort of their own homes. For example, VR-based mobile apps are used by patients to treat phobias and post-traumatic stress, speed up rehabilitation and manage chronic pain. Some apps are used to help patients/students better understand medical procedures. These have proven very useful for guiding non-medical users through specific medical procedures in remote areas where medical staff may not be able to reach the patient in time. 

VR Environments Help Patients Deal with Chronic Pain

VR-based games and experiences have been used with great efficacy to help mitigate pain in cancer patients and other patients suffering with chronic pain. 

VR gives people the illusion of being transported out of their circumstances into the virtual environment. Interacting with the VR environment places a high demand on the patient’s attention and brain resources, taking the focus off their pain and reducing their perception of pain.

Such VR-based apps have also proven effective in reducing stress and lifting the spirits of long-stay hospital patients, particularly children, as well as patients with terminal illnesses in palliative care.

Physical Rehabilitation with VR

Studies indicate that only one third of patients do the necessary exercises during rehabilitation.

Physical and neurology therapists have turned to virtual reality as a means to make exercise more fun and engaging. By combining physical exercises into games that can be customised for the patient, including neuro-impaired people, they have been able to dramatically improve compliance rates and outcomes for patients. VR devices offer the added benefit that the therapist can track and control the quality of the patient’s activity and make any necessary adjustments based on the data collected.

VR for Cognitive Rehabilitation  

Patients with cognitive or similar disabilities caused by brain injuries often lack motivation to participate in rehabilitation. However, VR provides a non-threatening virtual environment where these patients can practice the tasks that may be difficult for them to do in reality. 

Virtual reality-based neurorehabilitation gaming systems help such patients with motor and cognitive recovery. They can be personalised for each user and used to track progress and speed up the recovery process.

Treating Phobias and Post-Traumatic Disorders (PTSD) with VR

Mental health workers use VR in a variety of ways, one of which is to help people deal with phobias or post-traumatic disorders. Therapists use VR  to immerse patients with PTSD into a virtual environment tailored to address their specific fears. The therapist controls the environment and monitors the patient’s brain activities and their responses to various stressors. This helps them offer better treatments based on a more in depth understanding of the brain and biological factors related to PTSD. 

VR for Dentists

No one enjoys a visit to the dentist, but VR is making things easier for both dental practitioners and their patients. Aside from being used to relieve the stress of children and adults in the dentist’s chair, VR has also proven valuable as a tool for dentists to practice delicate procedures prior to doing them on real patients. 

VR simulations can be used to create a virtual prototype of a specific patient’s mouth where the dentist can make closer examination of the issue, surrounding tissues and teeth, and plan and practice their approach.

VR Helps Keep Patients and Families Connected

Maintaining strong relationships and support systems is vital for both mental health and physical recovery of patients in hospitals or care centres.

VR apps have also been devised to allow these patients/residents to interact with their families and loved ones, no matter how far away. These apps are particularly vital for keeping people connected during the current COVID-pandemic when travel and visiting have been restricted.

The Tip of the Iceberg

These are just a few of the many ways in which VR is used in medicine and there is no doubt that it’s application will only grow as the technology continues to evolve.

If you would like to find out more about Medical Imaging Virtual Reality Environments, please reach out to our friendly team today.

At the heart of virtual reality is the idea of being somewhere without physically being there. This notion has sparked human imagination for hundreds of years. Today’s real world virtual technologies are built upon ideas that date back to the 1800s near the very beginning of practical photography. The first stereoscope was invented in 1838 and it’s twin mirror arrangement served as the foundation for the View-Master, patented in 1939 and still in production today.

From Science Fiction to Reality

Early mention of something akin to virtual reality is made in a short story by science fiction author Stanley G. Weinbaum. Published in 1935, Pygmalion’s Spectacles involves a professor who invents a pair of goggles that allow him to view a movie with sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. 

Credit for extrapolating this idea into the real world goes to Morton Heilig, a cinematographer, who, in 1957, launched his Sensorama, a multimedia device which simulated a real city environment. Viewers ‘rode’ through the virtual environment on a motorcycle. Multisensory stimulation made it possible for them to see the road, hear the engine, feel the vibration, even smell the motor’s exhaust in the artificially designed world. Interestingly, this was an entirely mechanical apparatus as it pre-dated digital computers. 

In 1960, Heilig patented a head-mounted display device he called the Telesphere Mask which served as the foundation upon which many subsequent VR helmets were built.

Steady Progress through the 1960s

The world’s first motion-tracking head-mounted display (HMD) was created in 1961 by Comeau and Bryan, two Philco Corporation engineers. The display had two video screens, one for each eye and a magnetic tracking device which was used to move a remote camera, allowing the user to look around a physical environment without actually being there.

In 1966, Thomas Furness, a military engineer, invented the first flight simulator for the Air Force which sparked a great deal of interest in VR technology and its application in training situations.

The first VR/Augmented Reality (AR) HMD to produce immersive experiences was invented by Ivan Sutherland and Bob Sproull in 1968. This device displayed computer-generated graphics that changed perspective as the user moved around. Both the quality of the interface and realism of the simulations were rather low, and the device, known as ‘The Sword of Damocles’ was so heavy that it had to be suspended from the ceiling by metal cables. 

Rapid Advances in the 70s and 80s

The 1970s and 80s brought scientific breakthroughs in optics, haptic devices and instruments that allowed users to move around in the virtual space, ushering in a golden age for virtual reality. 

Although the focus during this era was on medical, flight simulation, automobile industry design, and military training, the 1982 box office hit, Tron, raised public awareness of and interest in virtual reality.

Meanwhile, Furness continued to work on his Air Force simulation project and, in 1986, developed the Visually Coupled Airborne Systems Simulator (VCASS) that gave pilots a virtual view, streamlining the barrage of information they are expected to absorb.

VCASS led to the invention of The Super Cockpit program that uses technology such as computer-generated 3-D maps, infrared, and radar imagery to help pilots make better decisions, faster.

VR Goes Mainstream

The term virtual reality was first coined in 1987 by computer scientist, researcher, and artist John Lanier who founded the Visual Programming Lab (VPL). 

Alongside Tom Zimmerman, Lanier also developed a range of VR gear, including the Data Glove, the Audio Sphere and the EyePhone HMD which set VPL up as the first company to sell VR goggles.

When VPL licensed the Data Glove to Mattel, they created the Power Glove. At $75, this was one of the first affordable VR devices readily available to the general public.

Boom in VR and AR in the 90s

In 1991, the first cubic immersive room, known as the cave, was developed by PhD student Nicole Stenger. This multi-projected environment allowed users to see their own bodies in relation to others in the same space. Stenger went on to create the first real-time immersive movie, experienced using data gloves and high-resolution goggles. The first commercial releases of consumer headsets that occurred in the 90s were, in large part, due to these breakthroughs.

Sega released its VR headsets for arcade games and the Mega Drive console in 1991, followed by the Sega VR1-motion simulator arcade attractions which tracked head movements in 1994. 

Nintendo’s Virtual Boy launched in 1995 as the first portable console that could display 3D graphics, but it was a bit of a fizzle due to its expensive price tag of $180, the lack of colour graphics and poor software support.

In 1997, Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers developed Virtual Vietnam, a virtual reality war simulation used to assist in treating veterans suffering from PTSD.

VR Innovation Continues to Grow in the 21st Century

Progress in the field and application of VR continues to grow at a rapid rate in the 21st century. 

On 14 April 2016, cancer surgeon Shafi Ahmedon performed the first surgery ever to be recorded by virtual reality cameras at the Royal London hospital. These types of recordings allow medical students to follow the operation from start to finish as though they were holding the scalpel.

2016 was also the first year that VR became truly accessible to consumers with the release of HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Playstation VR making it possible to enjoy VR gaming and media entertainment in the comfort of one’s home. Since then, the industry has continued to grow exponentially.

No Slowing Down

As impressive as it may currently appear, VR is a rapidly advancing technology and it’s development shows no signs of slowing down. With more powerful, more streamlined headsets, and more intuitive and innovative software coming out each year, only one thing is certain, we’ve only just begun to unlock the full potential of this powerful technology.

If you would like to find out more about Medical Imaging Virtual Reality Environments, please reach out to our friendly team today.

Radiographers need considerable technological and scientific expertise to carry out their roles. Among a host of other things, they need to know how to produce high quality diagnostic images, how best to position their patients, and how to responsibly and safely deliver ionising radiation. 

Such skills have traditionally been acquired through clinical placements and clinical skills labs, both of which are hard to comeby and costly. Often students are left to role-play more complex projections and manipulations, without being able to take any images to gauge how well they are doing. Image acquisition is central to learning and reflective practice as it allows students to identify and correct errors in patient positioning, exposure, beam centring, and the like.

Virtual reality medical radiography learning environments offer a host of benefits to trainee health professionals that are simply not available through traditional training methods. 

Visualisation is Powerful, VR Even More So

It’s a well established fact that a strong link exists between mentally visualising an outcome and actually achieving the outcome in life. Virtual reality training leverages this principle with the added advantage that the user no longer has to imagine their success, but can instead experience that success in a highly immersive simulated environment. This makes it even easier for learners to translate their skills into the real world.

Mobile Training Apps Extend Reach  

Mobile virtual reality training programs are changing the face of healthcare training by allowing students and practitioners to practice a wide range of radiography procedures, from basic techniques to more intricate procedures carried out during surgery, without having to set foot into the clinic or operating theatre. 

These VR apps allow students to obtain hands-on experience and hone their skills from almost anywhere using only a laptop. 

This means that practitioners and students in remote areas are able to receive practical experiential training, maintain their skills, practice for accreditation and compliance, and stay up to date with new and emerging techniques in ways that were not previously available to them without long journeys and considerable expense.

Cost-effective, Risk-free Skills Practice

Learning any new skill is a matter of trial and error, and perfecting that skill requires dedicated and consistent practice. Real world practical experience is often limited by geographical, patient availability, or cost-related factors, as well as the considerable risks for real patients when receiving treatment from trainees. The clinical setting also does not offer any room for error, especially in settings where mistakes may result in harm to the patient. 

Virtual reality simulated training environments, on the other hand, provide realistic clinical situations, complete with equipment, patients, and health professional avatars that respond in realistic ways. This allows students to use mistakes as tools for learning without the stress and high stakes of the real life clinical setting.

Preparing Students for the Unexpected

VR training programs are highly customisable, allowing trainers to set them up in ways that throw the learner into unexpected situations and help them to learn how to respond correctly to emergencies. 

In traditional settings, it is simply not possible (or ethical) to deliberately create dire circumstances for the sake of training. However, in the virtual setting, these uncommon scenarios are easily created and can be repeated as often as required for the student to learn the necessary skills.

VR therefore provides excellent training for real world clinical settings where almost anything can happen and radiologists need to adapt to changing circumstances at a moment’s notice.

VR Works for Visual, Experiential, and Auditory Learners

Humans learn in three primary ways, by seeing, hearing and doing. Some learners are far more receptive to information via one of these learning modes than the others. So, a person may be a predominantly visual learner, or experiential learner or auditory learner. Virtual reality training technology caters for all three learning modes, allowing trainees to learn effectively no matter which mode of learning they favour.

Realistic Responses Provide Vital Feedback

When students practice using medical imaging virtual reality training systems, they benefit by receiving realistic responses from the virtual patients and equipment in real time as they work. This allows them to take corrective action and improves their technique.

Self-paced learning

One of the big things with modern learning that Medspace addresses well is self-paced learning. Students can repeat procedures and techniques at their own pace.

Objective Assessment of Skill Competence

Classroom training sessions can be tracked and reviewed by the supervisor at a time that suits them. Supervisors can see how well students are progressing with their training and step in with extra advice and guidance as required.

A More Realistic Experience

VR medical imaging training software allows students to familiarise themselves with, and better understand, the VR medical imaging training software allows students to familiarise themselves with, and better understand, the equipment they will encounter in a real life clinic or operating theatre. They learn more than just valuable skills, they also learn the constraints of operating equipment in clinical settings.

VR Makes Learning Fun

Ultimately, students are motivated by the idea of one day practicing Radiography in a clinical or hospital setting. VR training programs leverage this motivation by placing them in their desired situation while they learn. The fact that this is a safe environment in which mistakes are allowed and the focus is on developing skills, makes the learning process much less stressful and loads more fun. 

Enjoyment of the training method increases the likelihood that they will continue to apply themselves to learning, resulting in better skills acquisition and better outcomes.

VR Builds Competence in Students

When faced with real life situations, students who have had the benefit of VR medical imaging training demonstrate more competence in their abilities and radiographic techniques than those who have been trained by traditional means. 

VR as a Supplementary Training Tool

From the above it’s clear that VR training holds many benefits for Medical Imaging students. It is important to note however, that VR is valuable as a supplement to, rather than as a replacement for, existing clinical skills labs and clinical placements. 

Rapidly Advancing Technology

With current VR systems providing so many opportunities for trainee medical professionals, new developments in this rapidly advancing technology are sure to bring even greater benefits.

If you would like to find out more about Medical Imaging Virtual Reality Environments, please reach out to our friendly team today.

When introducing virtual reality (VR) simulation training into your school or faculty, it is important to set realistic expectations around what the technology can and can’t do, how it will be introduced and used, what training goals and objectives it will be addressing, the space VR will occupy in the overall curriculum, and how students will be evaluated.

This may sound like a tall order, so let’s break it down into actionable points.

What is VR simulation training?

Virtual Reality training involves the digital simulation of lifelike scenarios for training purposes. VR goes beyond watching procedures on a screen, allowing students to step into a realistic responsive 3D world that provides an active learning environment. Through VR students can experience sights and sounds and, in some cases even smells and touch, that enable them to transcend the barrier between the real and virtual worlds. 

Using a headset and controllers, trainees are able to observe, speak, move, and perform clinical procedures in a 3D virtual setting using simulated real-world tools and equipment, and sharing the experience with fellow students as well as AI-driven patient and medical professional avatars.

Seeing VR as more than just an expensive toy

As an emerging technology only finding mainstream traction in the last decade, virtual reality has been introduced to the world primarily as a tool for gaming. This can lead to misconceptions among fellow faculty members as well as students who may see VR as nothing more than an expensive toy rather than a serious teaching tool.

From a faculty point of view, this may hamper the implementation of VR into clinical training as senior members in particular may withhold their support. It may help to openly discuss the benefits and limitations of VR simulation training with sceptical staff members, and refer them to the overwhelming number of research papers supporting the efficacy of VR in medical training. Arranging a free trial of the software will also go a long way to overcoming these preconceived ideas. 

Introducing faculty to the benefits of VR simulation training

While real-life simulation of procedures is a cornerstone of clinical training, it is resource intensive requiring either clinical placements in working hospitals or clinics or the use of cadavers and simulation laboratories. With increasing pressures on budgets and limited availability of clinical placements and cadavers, VR offers a cost-effective training solution for medical professionals. 

For learners, VR makes accessing clinical experiences simple. The technology is easy to use and many Millenial and Gen Z students are already familiar with VR having used it to play video games. 

VR also reduces the risks involved in training, allowing medical trainees to make mistakes and learn by trial and error without endangering real life patients. This perceived psychological safety, along with the enjoyable nature of VR encourages student engagement and autonomous learning.

For institutions, VR systems take up very little space compared with simulation labs, they can be set up for a fraction of the cost and require fewer resources and hardly any extra staff training. Many VR systems work with no faculty required, allowing learners to access the VR system and take part in simulation whenever they like. This means skills development is no longer restricted to large centres with high setup budgets, but is open to much broader, flexible access. What’s more, faculty are freed up to focus on teaching skills such as  advanced communication skills or in situ simulation, which are not well-suited to VR training.

Students can access VR simulations almost anywhere using only a laptop, resulting in the integration of simulation-based education into everyday practice. Simulation then becomes a regular occurrence around other learning activities—rather than a once off experience which is soon forgotten.

Once VR training scenarios have been completed, learners receive virtual debriefing and can view automatically-generated feedback on their performance including both technical and non-technical skills. This feedback and debrief is central to the learning outcomes in any simulation, whether VR or physical.

Knowing how they have carried out the simulation relative to best practice, allows learners to examine their performance in more detail and opens up opportunities for blended learning. It also facilitates peer learning where learners share feedback with their fellows and mentors as a basis for discussing specific learning points.

Additionally, VR is highly repeatable and provides  standardised training that makes objective assessment easy, ensuring consistent quality and adherence to the latest institutional protocols. 

Teachers are able to extract valuable data on student progress that can be used to provide feedback to learners and implement effective interventions, resulting in more efficient skills development.

Allay concerns around VR and discuss its limitations

A key aspect in setting up expectations for VR training is to allay any concerns that VR will take over and replace the expert educator. The need for and value of human intervention and in-person training cannot be denied.

Due to limitations in artificial intelligence, virtual characters are unable to fully simulate the responses of real patients under certain circumstances. As a result, blended curricula that combine both VR and traditional training methods tend to yield the best results.

While it is extremely useful for teaching some techniques, VR is not a panacea. Rather, it is a technological tool that can be used to help students develop and practice specific skills and techniques. An important first step in introducing VR simulation into your overall curriculum is to decide on the training objectives you are looking to achieve and determine the most appropriate method of delivery. This will reveal the place that VR training occupies within the curriculum and help educators to set clear objectives for VR simulation training. 

Set clear objectives and build VR simulation training programs

VR is most effective when used to achieve a defined set of training objectives, and many immersive training systems allow the creation of bespoke VR simulation programs that meet specific training goals. 

Set assessment criteria for VR Training

VR simulation training programs make it simple to set up objective and standardised scenarios to ensure consistency and adherence to protocols, allowing institutions to embed their latest protocols into the training to ensure that trainee clinicians practice the appropriate procedures.

These systems can also generate large amounts of performance data that is valuable to monitor utilisation of the simulation, encourage learner engagement and for identifying struggling students who may benefit from further intervention and training.

Properly preparing students for VR training

In order to optimise the efficacy of virtual training, it is important to adequately prepare first time VR users, setting the right expectations for virtual reality training and ensuring that their first VR learning experience creates a strong foundation for their future virtual learning journey. 

Personalise your approach to suit your audience

Gauging students’ level of exposure and attitudes to the technology prior to introducing VR training, will give you an idea of how familiar they are with the technology and reveal any preconceived ideas they may have about VR. This will help you to plan a more relevant and personalised introduction of VR training into the learning environment.

Younger students who are more familiar with VR, will require a slower approach as they are likely to see VR as primarily for entertainment, an attitude that may hinder their abilities to take the learning experience seriously and therefore reduce its efficacy.

Proper preparation of students is vital to ensure the lesson does not get lost in translation between the virtual and the real world. The trainer needs to create an atmosphere of calm alertness and foster a critical-minded approach to the technique. The message needs to be “Yes, learning with VR is fun, however it is also important to take it seriously so you can apply the techniques to real world situations.”

Going beyond training for competency

The ultimate aim of introducing VR simulation training into the curriculum should be to move beyond training for competency and toward training for enhanced capability, resilience and continuity of safety across all stages of patient care.

The future of VR simulation training

Its potential to democratise the availability of quality medical training, makes VR an exciting prospect in healthcare training. The future of VR simulation training lies in its ongoing integration into curricula as well as with technological developments that allow more shared simulated clinical experiences. Such advances will facilitate quality interprofessional education at scale and independent of geography. This will transform how education is delivered to clinicians in future. 

If you would like to find out more about Medical Imaging Virtual Reality Training Systems, please reach out to our friendly team today.

With increasing pressures on budgets and limited availability of training facilities and clinical placements, Virtual reality (VR) simulation training has been welcomed by medical educators as a cost-effective, accessible and engaging way for students to practice clinical skills in a risk-free environment.

VR simulation training provides engaging and realistic first-person immersion that helps students to connect knowledge with experience. In addition to providing cost-saving, risk-free skills practice, VR makes learning fun, builds confidence, can be carried out autonomously, and requires very few resources compared with traditional clinical skills training methods. Plus, it provides a standardised and objective means of skills assessment.

As an emerging technology, however, there remains some uncertainty around what to look for when selecting a VR system for training purposes. In this article, we’ll look at a few important criteria to consider when selecting your VR training system.

A quick introduction to VR technology

For those new to VR, we’ll take a moment to introduce the basic set-up here. VR technology uses 3D-generated images projected onto a screen set into a special headset to give the viewer the sensation of being transported into the simulated environment. Rather than watching something on a screen, the VR user feels like they are actually there inside the virtual world. 

VR hardware configurations

There are three main hardware configurations commonly used in VR. They are:

• Mobile VR where the user inserts their mobile phone into the VR headset.
• Standalone VR where the headset does not require any additional devices or cables to run the simulation.
• Desktop where the VR experience is powered by high-end computers in addition to the headset.

The choice of configuration will depend on the type of training you’re doing. Flight simulators, for example, require complex hardware configurations; however, mobile or standalone headsets work well for most training applications.

Mobile VR headsets

Smartphone-based VR headsets are widely used as they are easily accessible and comparatively inexpensive. They use the smartphone’s existing features to create the virtual world. Users simply install an app onto their phones, pop the phone into the specially designed headset and they’re ready to go.

Standalone VR headsets

As the name implies, standalone headsets have everything necessary to create and run a VR simulation built into the headset. This includes a screen, gyroscope, dedicated controls and earphones all in a single device. 

In the past, these headsets were notoriously bulky. One of the earlier ones even weighed so much, it had to be suspended from the ceiling using metal rods (take a look at our article on the history of VR for more fun facts). Modern standalone headsets are far more practical, versatile and economical than their clumsy predecessors, and they are rapidly gaining ground in the education sector.

A scalable, flexible platform

Scalability and flexibility are vital to keep costs down. Choose a license-based software platform that allows you to purchase extension packages as required so that you can scale your costs according to your needs, allowing for fluctuations in intake and changes to requirements.

Ideally, your VR platform should be sufficiently flexible to facilitate both individual and paired classroom-based simulation and also extend to whole class lecture-style demonstrations or large-screen group-based learning with all the collaborative learning benefits that this brings. 

High levels of fidelity (realism)

The value of experiential learning has long been acknowledged, as this saying attributed to Confucius indicates: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

VR takes students on an experiential learning journey, and it stands to reason that the more realistic the experience offered by VR, the more effective the learning will be.

In fact, there is a strong connection between functional and physical fidelity (realism) and the transfer of skills. This is why it is important to choose a VR system that uses cutting edge visualisation software, placing users in a virtual environment that is as realistic as possible.

Accurate spatial relationships in 3D simulated environments

The use of 3D visualisation is strongly indicated for training in processes that require understanding and application of 3D relations, such as medical imaging simulation where the 3D challenge requires the clinician to position the patient and equipment in three dimensions. 

Software that delivers an accurate spatial relationship is essential for appropriate training in such circumstances. The use of accurate 3D technology allows students to visualise these complex 3D spatial relationships and to move away from the limitations of a 2D computer screen.

Intuitive controls

It goes without saying that VR software should be user-friendly with intuitive controls to make the learning process enjoyable and engaging.

Rather than rely on a complicated menu system, users should be able to simply click on the appropriate area of the equipment and then control it in the same way they would control the real-life equipment. This makes for a rapid learning curve and maintains high levels of realism and interactivity.

Realistic environmental constraints

The degree to which the student can manipulate or control the environment should reflect the limitations and possibilities they will encounter in real-life situations. For example, when entering an operating theatre, trainee radiographers will have no control over the initial environment or patient position, as the patient will be positioned according to surgical procedure requirements. They must learn to position C-Arms and monitors appropriately in order to get the required images. VR simulation protocols should be set up to mimic these limitations so that students learn to carry out the necessary procedures within the constraints of the environment. 

System administration options

Choose a system which enables tutors to create “standard” setups and images that can be tailored to local practice while operating in as unrestricted a manner as possible. 

Ideally, the software should allow unlimited standard setups to be created and saved as a protocol for students to work towards. This process should be rapid and simple, making initial setup straightforward. Additionally, users should be able to interact with all modules “off-protocol” and experiment with the environment. 

The latter function is especially useful if you plan on using the software to attract students at recruitment and marketing events where prospective students are able to “play” with the software while gaining an understanding of the medical workplace.

Wide ranging simulation options

Choose a product that will grow with your institution and provide high quality virtual environment simulation to as wide a range of learners as you wish. Selecting a platform that offers users a wide range of environments in which to hone their skills and which facilitates creation of an unlimited variety of protocols and procedures, will make your VR simulation training program even more cost-effective.

A VR platform that is designed to be tailored to individual institutional requirements and to be used throughout the full range of the learning journey will ensure the widest possible usage of the resource across a range of disciplines. 

VR software that encourages process learning

This is particularly important when software is being used for pre-clinical technique preparation where it is vital that users are able to engage with the software as if it were a real clinical machine. 

An essential component of process learning is provision of engaging feedback, and your chosen platform should respond realistically so that poor technique on the part of the student leads to poor results. 

The best software platforms allow educators to develop their own range of technique protocols and standards, so users are able to review their results against set standards. 

Software packages should include a feature where the software will animate the differences and indicate specific changes that need to be implemented to improve the student’s technique in future.

An active support community

Choose a package that allows for full personalisation of all protocols to ensure learning matches specific local procedures and techniques and where support does not end after purchase. 

Online communities provide a valuable forum for resource-sharing, collaboration and mutual support and actively encourage distribution of teaching resources, nurturing collaborative research and development. 

A community that includes active involvement from the software facilitators and development team will ensure that client queries and suggestions are responded to rapidly.

Future proof

With health and visualisation technologies constantly changing, it is vital that simulation resources are able to not only reflect the most up-to-date clinical changes, but also engage users with cutting-edge learning environments. 

Make sure you are not just getting a static simulation resource, but also a commitment to facilitate learning using the absolute latest visualisation technology. 

Look for a software provider set to maintain its position at the bleeding edge of technological innovation, so your students and users will benefit from increasing realism and levels of interactivity.

If you would like to find out more about our medical imaging virtual reality training environments that tick all the boxes, please reach out to our friendly team today.

When introducing virtual reality (VR) simulation training into your school or faculty, it is important to set realistic expectations around what the technology can and can’t do, how it will be introduced and used, what training goals and objectives it will be addressing, the space VR will occupy in the overall curriculum, and how students will be evaluated.

This may sound like a tall order, so let’s break it down into actionable points.

What is VR simulation training?

Virtual Reality training involves the digital simulation of lifelike scenarios for training purposes. VR goes beyond watching procedures on a screen, allowing students to step into a realistic responsive 3D world that provides an active learning environment. Through VR students can experience sights and sounds and, in some cases even smells and touch, that enable them to transcend the barrier between the real and virtual worlds. 

Using a headset and controllers, trainees are able to observe, speak, move, and perform clinical procedures in a 3D virtual setting using simulated real-world tools and equipment, and sharing the experience with fellow students as well as AI-driven patient and medical professional avatars.

Seeing VR as more than just an expensive toy

As an emerging technology only finding mainstream traction in the last decade, virtual reality has been introduced to the world primarily as a tool for gaming. This can lead to misconceptions among fellow faculty members as well as students who may see VR as nothing more than an expensive toy rather than a serious teaching tool.

From a faculty point of view, this may hamper the implementation of VR into clinical training as senior members in particular may withhold their support. It may help to openly discuss the benefits and limitations of VR simulation training with sceptical staff members, and refer them to the overwhelming number of research papers supporting the efficacy of VR in medical training. Arranging a free trial of the software will also go a long way to overcoming these preconceived ideas. 

Introducing faculty to the benefits of VR simulation training

While real-life simulation of procedures is a cornerstone of clinical training, it is resource intensive requiring either clinical placements in working hospitals or clinics or the use of cadavers and simulation laboratories. With increasing pressures on budgets and limited availability of clinical placements and cadavers, VR offers a cost-effective training solution for medical professionals. 

For learners, VR makes accessing clinical experiences simple. The technology is easy to use and many Millenial and Gen Z students are already familiar with VR having used it to play video games. 

VR also reduces the risks involved in training, allowing medical trainees to make mistakes and learn by trial and error without endangering real life patients. This perceived psychological safety, along with the enjoyable nature of VR encourages student engagement and autonomous learning.

For institutions, VR systems take up very little space compared with simulation labs, they can be set up for a fraction of the cost and require fewer resources and hardly any extra staff training. Many VR systems work with no faculty required, allowing learners to access the VR system and take part in simulation whenever they like. This means skills development is no longer restricted to large centres with high setup budgets, but is open to much broader, flexible access. What’s more, faculty are freed up to focus on teaching skills such as  advanced communication skills or in situ simulation, which are not well-suited to VR training.

Students can access VR simulations almost anywhere using only a laptop, resulting in the integration of simulation-based education into everyday practice. Simulation then becomes a regular occurrence around other learning activities—rather than a once off experience which is soon forgotten.

Once VR training scenarios have been completed, learners receive virtual debriefing and can view automatically-generated feedback on their performance including both technical and non-technical skills. This feedback and debrief is central to the learning outcomes in any simulation, whether VR or physical.

Knowing how they have carried out the simulation relative to best practice, allows learners to examine their performance in more detail and opens up opportunities for blended learning. It also facilitates peer learning where learners share feedback with their fellows and mentors as a basis for discussing specific learning points.

Additionally, VR is highly repeatable and provides  standardised training that makes objective assessment easy, ensuring consistent quality and adherence to the latest institutional protocols. 

Teachers are able to extract valuable data on student progress that can be used to provide feedback to learners and implement effective interventions, resulting in more efficient skills development.

Allay concerns around VR and discuss its limitations

A key aspect in setting up expectations for VR training is to allay any concerns that VR will take over and replace the expert educator. The need for and value of human intervention and in-person training cannot be denied.

Due to limitations in artificial intelligence, virtual characters are unable to fully simulate the responses of real patients under certain circumstances. As a result, blended curricula that combine both VR and traditional training methods tend to yield the best results.

While it is extremely useful for teaching some techniques, VR is not a panacea. Rather, it is a technological tool that can be used to help students develop and practice specific skills and techniques. An important first step in introducing VR simulation into your overall curriculum is to decide on the training objectives you are looking to achieve and determine the most appropriate method of delivery. This will reveal the place that VR training occupies within the curriculum and help educators to set clear objectives for VR simulation training. 

Set clear objectives and build VR simulation training programs

VR is most effective when used to achieve a defined set of training objectives, and many immersive training systems allow the creation of bespoke VR simulation programs that meet specific training goals. 

Set assessment criteria for VR Training

VR simulation training programs make it simple to set up objective and standardised scenarios to ensure consistency and adherence to protocols, allowing institutions to embed their latest protocols into the training to ensure that trainee clinicians practice the appropriate procedures.

These systems can also generate large amounts of performance data that is valuable to monitor utilisation of the simulation, encourage learner engagement and for identifying struggling students who may benefit from further intervention and training.

Properly preparing students for VR training

In order to optimise the efficacy of virtual training, it is important to adequately prepare first time VR users, setting the right expectations for virtual reality training and ensuring that their first VR learning experience creates a strong foundation for their future virtual learning journey. 

Personalise your approach to suit your audience

Gauging students’ level of exposure and attitudes to the technology prior to introducing VR training, will give you an idea of how familiar they are with the technology and reveal any preconceived ideas they may have about VR. This will help you to plan a more relevant and personalised introduction of VR training into the learning environment.

Younger students who are more familiar with VR, will require a slower approach as they are likely to see VR as primarily for entertainment, an attitude that may hinder their abilities to take the learning experience seriously and therefore reduce its efficacy.

Proper preparation of students is vital to ensure the lesson does not get lost in translation between the virtual and the real world. The trainer needs to create an atmosphere of calm alertness and foster a critical-minded approach to the technique. The message needs to be “Yes, learning with VR is fun, however it is also important to take it seriously so you can apply the techniques to real world situations.”

Going beyond training for competency

The ultimate aim of introducing VR simulation training into the curriculum should be to move beyond training for competency and toward training for enhanced capability, resilience and continuity of safety across all stages of patient care.

The future of VR simulation training

Its potential to democratise the availability of quality medical training, makes VR an exciting prospect in healthcare training. The future of VR simulation training lies in its ongoing integration into curricula as well as with technological developments that allow more shared simulated clinical experiences. Such advances will facilitate quality interprofessional education at scale and independent of geography. This will transform how education is delivered to clinicians in future. 

If you would like to find out more about Medical Imaging Virtual Reality Training Systems, please reach out to our friendly team today.