The rise of virtual reality in healthcare: From therapy to training

• Virtual reality (VR) is revolutionizing healthcare by enhancing surgical techniques, medical training, and patient care management
• Current VR applications in healthcare range from preoperative planning and surgical simulations to chronic pain management and mental health therapies
• As VR technology advances, its potential healthcare applications will expand as well, making it an indispensable tool for patient care and medical education

The use of virtual reality (VR) in healthcare is offering a number of benefits across the industry. While its use is often associated with gaming, technological advances have revolutionized the ability of VR to be used across multiple industries. As a result, the technology is recognized as one of the most groundbreaking innovations of recent times.¹ In fact, the entire VR market is expected to be worth over $165 billion USD by 2026.²

In the world of healthcare VR is an incredibly exciting development. A lot more than a novelty used for video games, VR is one of six key technologies that have transformed the industry in recent times, with its ability to enhance surgical techniques, medical training, and patient education.³

In this article, HT shines the spotlight on VR in healthcare, taking a detailed look at the impact it has already had and why it could become even more important moving forward. 

VR refers to a simulated three-dimensional experience that allows users to immerse themselves in a virtual environment, often using a headset.⁴ This environment can also be manipulated and navigated, enabling users to engage with the virtual world in a set way.¹

While the term “virtual reality” was originally coined back in the mid-1980s, the technology’s roots actually go back as far as the 1800s and the invention of the stereoscope — a device that utilized twin mirrors to project a single image.⁵

VR is often used in combination with augmented reality (AR), which works in a slightly different way. For example, while VR creates a fully immersive digital environment, AR relies on using a smartphone or a head-mounted display to mix simulated digital imagery with the real world.⁴ In healthcare, both AR and VR technologies can have significant applications — despite serving slightly different purposes. 

In recent years, VR has made huge strides in the fields of medicine and surgery, with some of its most notable applications being in preoperative planning and surgical simulations.^3,6 Surgeons can now use VR technology to practice complex procedures in a risk-free environment. In doing so, they can enhance their skills and confidence before they go on to perform actual, real-life surgical procedures.³

At George Washington University, for instance, medical students use an advanced VR tool for neurosurgery and thoracic surgery to virtually explore a patient’s brain and anatomy.⁶ This tool — known as Precision Virtual Reality by Surgical Theater — was inspired by the flight simulators used to train fighter pilots and, since its development, has allowed surgeons to:⁷

• Preview upcoming surgical procedures
• Improve situational awareness and surgical efficiency
• Increase patient engagement and understanding
• Hone their skills in an interactive, risk-free environment

What’s more, these improvements in surgical efficiency also correspond with the results of a Harvard Business Review study, which found that VR training enhanced overall surgical performance by 230% when compared to traditional methods.^6,8,9

While VR is currently being used to support specific healthcare processes, the technology is also being increasingly applied in patient care management to assist with various symptoms and conditions. 

For example, VR can now be used to help patients manage chronic pain by offering an immersive experience that distracts them from their discomfort.⁵ In fact, back in 2021, the FDA approved the first VR-based therapeutic after it was shown to reduce pain intensity and pain-related interferences in patients with chronic low back pain.⁵ However, VR therapeutics can now be utilized to help patients overcome other types of pain as well, including post-surgical pain and pain during childbirth.⁸

VR is also being increasingly used in mental health therapies for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by creating controlled environments where patients can confront their symptoms.⁵ Exposure therapy, a common treatment for PTSD, can now be conducted in a safe and controlled VR setting, making it easier for patients to visualize and slowly heal from their trauma.^1,5

Rehabilitation is another area where VR is making a significant impact.^5,8 Thanks to recent advances, patients can use VR to engage in physical therapy by performing repetitive, task-specific exercises in a motivating virtual environment. This technology, developed alongside physicians and therapists, not only makes physical therapy more enjoyable for patients, but also helps improve engagement and accessibility.^2,8

During a study into the use of gamification in rehabilitation, researchers found that the use of VR was particularly helpful in treating neuromotor disorders in children and adolescents. They discovered that gamification not only helped increase motivation and enjoyment levels, but also improved therapeutic adherence.¹⁰

Other research has found that the ability to complete physical therapy at home using these technologies can help contribute to the behavior change required to improve at-home rehabilitation adherence rates.¹¹

From a patient education perspective, VR can be employed to help people understand better their condition through the use of 3D simulations. Simulations help patients visualize their condition and understand the effects of any proposed treatments, potentially assisting patients in making more informed decisions about their care and improving the patient-provider relationship.¹

Medical education is another area where VR is making a significant impact. While traditional medical training has often relied on textbooks and lectures, VR allows medical students to gain more hands-on experience, providing an interactive and immersive environment to practice medical procedures, explore detailed anatomical models, and simulate patient interactions.^1,3 This kind of virtual practice space arguably helps medical students to become better and more confident doctors.¹²

One key example of the use of VR is with distance learning, where students can participate in virtual classrooms and clinical scenarios regardless of where they’re based in the world.^13,14 This approach not only helps provide students with improved access opportunities, but also allows them to engage with patient diagnosis simulations in an interactive, real-time environment. In doing so, this teaches medical students how to respond to various medical conditions in a safe space.¹⁵

While VR’s use in medical education is still in relative infancy, bodies like the American Board of Internal Medicine have implemented it already, recommending that all medical residents be trained using simulation tools before attempting any real-life patient interventions.³

VR is revolutionizing healthcare by enhancing treatment planning, patient care, and medical education — and this trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.^1,2 With an increasing number of studies supporting the various benefits VR can bring, it is important for healthcare providers to keep up to date on the latest developments in order to access the full benefits that this technology can bring to the quality of patient care. 

As VR technology continues to advance, so will its potential healthcare applications, making virtual reality in healthcare an indispensable tool for providers.