Augmented reality in healthcare is being used in hospitals and clinics all over the world, especially for visualisation, surgical visualisation, and education

 

Augmented reality in healthcare finds application in vein visualization, surgical visualization, and education. Augmented reality enables the collecting of important data from patients, and then, displays this data in 3D forms. For example, virtual reality technology is an entire immersion in a digital environment with specialized hardware. In this instance, either the doctor or the patient is virtually not fully immersed. The presence of a person near the viewer is sufficient to tell what is going on.

In terms of medical cases, augmented reality has been used to create more personalized consultations between doctors and patients. By giving the doctor access to the exact information that a patient is viewing in their charts, doctors can make better, more informed decisions. In the same way, by allowing patients to see pictures of themselves prior to having surgery, doctors are able to get a better idea of how they are really feeling. Such advantages have led to launch of various augmented reality solutions. For instance, in January 2021, ThirdEye, a provider of augmented and mixed reality enterprise solutions, launch of its updated and patented suite of healthcare, government and field services software and accessories.

There are some drawbacks to using augmented reality in healthcare. Some patients may be uncomfortable in seeing other people in virtual reality, and many in real life. However, because this technology improves current medical practices and allows for a more seamless operation, some doctors choose to use it while performing their surgical procedure. Additionally, some people believe that the accuracy of current surgical practices is worth the comfort they receive from being able to see images of themselves prior to the procedure.

Augmented reality in healthcare has also been beneficial to surgeons when it comes to the preparation of patients for surgery. Because the surgeon is able to look at a photograph of the intended patient before the actual surgery, he or she can examine the anatomical structure and learn how the body will respond to the operation. This allows surgeons to focus less on the technical aspects of the surgery, and more time and thought on the actual techniques. As a result, more accurate and minimally invasive procedures are performed.