Student Aniket Bhardwaj with coaches Dr. Ruby Woodard (left) and Dr. Johnny Martin (right), diagnosing a patient with a hologram (Photo: Background / Cambridge University Hospitals)
The students of Adenbrook University Hospital in the UK were the first medical students in the world to use a new hybrid reality training system called Holocenarios that allows teaching and learning with holographic patients.
The technology was developed by the University of Cambridge Hospitals NHS Foundation (CUH), the University of Cambridge and GigXR, a US-based technology company. According to scientists, this system promises accessibility from anywhere in the world and allows in-depth and failure-safe learning.
The program gained momentum after students were prevented from communicating directly with patients to practice and learn about Govit-19 epidemiology and medicine. Due to the risk of contamination, contacts were made with tablets. With this new method, the experience is different
“Having a patient with a hologram that you can see, hear and interact with is very exciting and will make a difference in students’ learning. It makes the training more interactive and realistic, and you can safely make mistakes and learn from them,” said Aniket Bhardwaj, a medical student and first-timer of new technology. In reference.
How does it work?
The system is divided into three modules, the first focusing on general respiratory conditions and emergencies, the other on cardiovascular and neurological development.
The first volume contains a hologram of a person with asthma, followed by anaphylaxis, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia. Students wear hybrid reality headsets for study that allow them to see each other in real life while interacting with the holographic patient.
Medical instructors can modify patient responses, introduce problems, and record observations and discussions, either directly or remotely. Additionally, students can view, contribute and evaluate patient footage from an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.
“Mixed reality is increasingly recognized as an effective method of simulator training. As companies acquire, the need for sites that offer this ease of use and learning management is rapidly expanding,” points out CUH’s Cambridge project leader and consultant anesthesiologist Arun Gupta. .
In addition to the learning benefit, HoloScenarios offers highly flexible and inexpensive training without the high resource requirements of traditional simulation. This includes the costs of maintaining simulation centers, their equipment, and the number of hours staff and staff recruiting and training staff and staff to operate the laboratories.
The future of medicine
With the development and launch of HoloScenarios, the University of Cambridge has been conducting research to assess student and patient outcomes using mixed reality.
The program will enhance the learning experience for the next generation of physicians, nurses and health professionals, says Professor Sir Stephen Bovis, National Medical Director of the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. “Creating new environments for practicing medicine in real time, improving access to training around the world,” he adds.
GigXR plans to sell the technology to other medical training institutes and schools. If successful, a portion of the proceeds will go back to the NHS, similar to the Brazilian Integrated Health Organization (SUS).
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