The Royal College of Surgeons plans to explore mixed reality to improve student surgical training
Orange County, CA - November 30th 2016 - Virtual reality (VR) innovations have been recognized as multi-faceted treatments in the medical field and are now being utilized for training. The Royal College of Surgeons is researching the Microsoft HoloLens virtual reality headset in efforts to use mixed reality for immersive training. The college is teaming up with education group Pearson in development of realistic holograms for student practice of surgical procedures.
The HoloLens, released to developers this year, displays a hovering 3D hologram in the wearer’s environment rather than creating its own. This immersive technology has the potential for amelioration through development of haptic technologies which allow the wearer to explore other sensations. This type of training could forgo traditional cadaver-based training, with some schools like Case Western Reserve University planning to abolish “wet labs” in two years’ time.
“[Within the next five years] I think most people will be taught with this AR, VR, mixed reality,” said Shafi Ahmed, council member of the Royal College of Surgeons, cancer surgeon at Barts Health NHS trust and co-founder of Medical Realities, a company working on augmented and virtual reality development. This type of mixed reality will allow the training to include case-based specifications per procedure. He believes that these technologies are the future of education stating that, “Learning will change immeasurably,” and that the advancements will “really [disrupt] 200 years worth of surgical training.”Another hope is that VR will democratize access to proper training worldwide. With two-thirds of the population lacking access to safe and affordable surgery, this type of instruction heightens the probability of placing adequately trained medical professionals in the field.
The HoloLens offers transparency to procedures, aiding patients by putting their fears to rest prior to surgery. In being able to witness the procedure firsthand, patients will be more at ease, and professionals will be able to answer any questions. After the procedure, it will also be possible to watch a recording of their surgery.
Mark Christian, the global director of immersive learning at Pearson, believes “people rationalize things more [when given] a visual [representation], “and further states an informed patient is prone to higher quality outcomes.
