Current Uses of VR in Health Care

In the WebMD article by Jennifer Clopton, “Virtual Reality Brings New Vision to Health Care,” she describes the latest uses of virtual reality for improving the patient experience, medical education, and surgical accuracy.

The use of virtual reality in health care is rapidly increasing in prevalence. Patients are using VR to reduce pain and ease anxiety during procedures such as women in labor and chemotherapy infusions. One woman describes her experience of going to the beach during her chemotherapy sessions. She describes it as relaxing and peaceful, visiting her favorite place which is usually out of reach due to her sensitivity to the sun.

In addition to the patient experience, doctors are using VR as a tool for training and visualizations. In a 3D visualization tool, surgeons can view the patient’s MRIs and CT scans to view the anatomy more comprehensively. They can also rehearse complex surgeries to prepare and increase their likelihood for success.

Read more in this article about these new uses in health care including specific studies and use cases.