Extended Reality, commonly known as XR, is making significant strides in transforming the healthcare industry. XR, which encompasses technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), is already enhancing experiences for patients and providers across the healthcare continuum.

During an Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2024 session, where co-founder of XR Health Alliance Sarah Ticho spoke about the growing value of XR in health education, we were introduced to some projects using XR. Let's learn more about XR and its utilization in healthcare.

Some projects using XR in healthcare include:

• VSI HoloMedicene
• Goliathvr.io
• Soul Paint
• BBC’s Reality Labs

VSI HoloMedicene

One area in which the power of XR is already being used is in surgical training, for instance, with apoQlar's advanced technologies. VSI HoloMedicine provides precision in surgical planning, enabling surgeons to visualize and strategize complex procedures using 3D models and real-time data. VSI HoloMedicine helps convert 2D images into 3D visualizations, allowing doctors to grasp preoperative/intraoperative planning better, thus delivering optimal patient care. Their solutions also help simplify complex medical information, allowing patients to visualize and comprehend their diagnosis and treatment plans better. They leverage tools like AI segmentation and MR environments to delve deeper into medical research, develop new treatments, and accelerate innovation in healthcare. They also provide a masterclass and demo, which are available to check out on their website.

Goliathvr.io

Goliath: Playing With Reality is a 25-minute animated virtual reality experience about schizophrenia, gaming, and connection. Deeply misunderstood, people who are given a diagnosis of an illness where psychosis plays a big part die up to two decades earlier compared to those unaffected by these conditions, as stated on their website. Those poor outcomes are exacerbated by the isolation that comes with prejudice in society. As a VR experience, Goliath: Playing With Reality sets out to challenge perceptions of people with lived experiences of psychosis through compelling storytelling and meaningful immersive experience design. To deepen this impact, the Goliath team is working to extend the project and additional resources to targeted community groups. Check out their website to learn more.

Soul Paint

This project aims to explore the emotional and sensory aspects of our existence, bridging technology, well-being, and storytelling. Through “Soul Paint,” people can express complex feelings when words fall short. Director Sarah Ticho and interactive artist Niki Smit have crafted an experience that resonates deeply, inspired by personal grief. The wonderful narration of Ahsoka actress Rosario Dawson adds to the project’s impact. Users can explore emotions and sensations by making them visible in the virtual environment. Body mapping ensures accurate movement representation and three-dimensional drawings allow interaction with the virtual world. From March 10 to 12, it was available at SXSW as part of the XR Experience Competition. Soul Paint will be available soon for the Meta Quest 2 and 3 VR headsets.

BBC Reality Labs

BBC Reality Labs is an exciting initiative within BBC Research & Development (R&D) that explores the intersection of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) with the broader media landscape. It aims to build upon the successful work done with virtual reality (VR) and extend those efforts. The BBC has been exploring how VR can enhance various aspects of our lives, including healthcare.

In Closing

XR has the power to revolutionize how people connect and essentially improve health outcomes. It has already started with projects like VSI HoloMedicine and Goliath. As we continue to envision a future of healthcare that embraces the potential of XR, innovations must be responsibly developed and applied. The XR industry has maintained a focus on responsible innovation and has built a repository of resources. But responsible innovation doesn’t stop there. Organizations are also chiming in. For example, Tobii, an industry leader in eye-tracking technology, has implemented a transparency policy. The policy requires applications that use the technology to ask for user acceptance, visualize when data transfer or storage occurs, and explain the benefit of the technology. Organizations are constantly weighing in on best practices and policy guidelines as people continue keeping an eye on XR’s progression.