When you first hear about VR (Virtual Reality) being used for medical training, it kind of sounds like a game or a joke and not a serious addition to a doctor’s training. However, the reality is that the technology and the research around surgical training using VR is very serious and much more than a game. What did surprise me was how VR surgical training was not so much a replacement to surgical training, but a great addition that takes the existing training to a new level.
This is part of what I learned about VR surgical training when I talked with Justin Barad, CEO and co-founder at Osso VR and Dr. Cory Calendine, MD, Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery for Williamson Medical Center and Founding Partner of the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee. One of the things that struck me most in our video interview below was the number of repetitions a doctor could do using VR that just isn’t reasonable outside of that world. I’ve long known the value of spaced repetition in learning and so it makes sense why Osso VR’s virtual training can provide surgeons the repetitions they need.
As I said above, what’s most fascinating is that this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a replacement of the current training. However, if you’ve gone through the procedure a dozen times in VR, then when you’re in the cadaver lab, you already know what to expect because you’ve done the repetitions virtually so your time in the lab is enhanced. The same is true for doctors doing a procedure they don’t do regularly. Being able to practice it in VR is extremely valuable to help them remember the process and practice a procedure they may have done before, but not regularly.
If you want to learn more about this technology and how it’s being used by healthcare organizations, check out our video interview below. It definitely shines a very different light on what VR medical education looks like. Plus, I didn’t even mention how the VR can actually give real time feedback to the doctor that’s using the VR tool.
Learn more about Osso VR: https://www.ossovr.com/
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