Virtual Reality in Healthcare: Benefits, Challenges, and Use Cases

Technology has been a prominent leader in bringing the change we once envisioned. Business professionals in different sectors are immersing themselves in future-centric technologies and revolutionizing the market. This wave has also hit the medical industry, and various evolutions are evident, like telemedicine, EHR, and now Virtual reality in healthcare.

It might sound odd to pair VR with healthcare because most of us have once used it to play video games on a virtual playground. But do you know that VR in healthcare offers various benefits? It helps enhance pain management, improve mental health, and more. This technology can distract patients from pain by immersing them in a virtual environment. 

However, its adoption is still a challenge among healthcare professionals. There are many reasons for this, the premier being a lack of expertise and experience in healthcare software development. Hence, it is advised to work with a skilled team. 

The Role of Virtual Reality in Healthcare

Introducing VR in the medical industry builds an immersive experience through computer-generated 3D settings. Motion tracking and sensory feedback make the head-mount-simulated experience more real. Its market size is expected to grow from $4.18 billion in 2024 to $46.34 billion in 2032, with a CAGR of over 35%.

In the healthcare industry, the role of VR is immense, as it aids in treatment, training, and patient care. But how exactly does VR work in healthcare, and what makes it so transformative? 

Work of VR in Healthcare Industry 

We all have used head-mounted sets once for playing games, but did you know these sets are effective in solving health-specific conflicts? We are aware of how AI agents in healthcare settings improve patient care. This is just a step of the ladder, the advent of VR is a significant step ahead. It allows medical professionals to practice surgeries and related procedures in simulated real-life scenarios. 

Types of VR Applications in Healthcare 

There are several distinct types of VR applications in healthcare, each designed for specific use cases. Let’s break them down:

Simulation-Based VR

The most known application of virtual reality in healthcare is the simulation of the real world in a virtual space. Today, surgeons, doctors, and medical students employ these simulations to better understand how complex surgeries can be done by experimenting on virtual (not actual) patients. This way, the ones using virtual reality in medicine and surgery can save lives, but how?  It can be done by allowing practitioners to refine their skills without the risk of causing any harm to the patients. 

Therapeutic VR

In countries like the USA, especially in the North American region, the usage of VR is recorded as the highest for treating or managing medical conditions. But how can VR aid in this? 

This is all because of the immersive, real-life experience that helps patients reduce stress or undergo psychological treatments. For instance, VR exposure therapy is helpful in gradually reducing stress-like symptoms. 

Diagnostic VR

Doctors can check on the medical data of patients in a visual and more intuitive way, which helps them better understand the condition. This way, they can precisely diagnose an ill person. 

For instance, With VR technology, doctors can examine medical imaging like CT scans, MRIs, or C-rays in 3D, allowing them to understand more about how critical a patient’s condition is. 

What are the Benefits of Virtual Reality in Healthcare?

Till now, we know about the role and types of VR applications in the healthcare industry. The improvement in technology is continuous, and it has improved healthcare operations on a larger scale by offering various benefits. However, it is beneficial not only for medical practitioners but also for patients. Here are some of the main benefits of VR in healthcare:

Advantages of VR For Patients

Virtual Reality offers various advantages for patients while providing a safe and immersive experience that meets their specific needs. These benefits include:

Pain Management

The healthcare industry is using VR to help manage the pain of patients more effectively. In healthcare software development, VR-specific use cases provide a highly immersive environment that distracts patients from pain. However, the effects of VR are typically short-term; its impact can have a lasting benefit on a patient’s recovery from pain.

Rehabilitation

Now, the introduction of virtual reality in the medical field allows patients to practice movements and exercises safely in a simulated environment. This improves their motivation and engagement to perform exercise.

Improves Mental Health

Mental health is one of the significant challenges today. People are frustrated and want a sign of relief, which they are not getting. The amalgamation of VR and healthcare significantly improved individuals’ mental state by gradually exposing them to face their fears and overcome them safely in a virtual world. 

Pros of Virtual Reality For Medical Professionals

Virtual reality offers various advantages for medical professionals, contributing to better patient care and improved medical expertise. Here are some of the main benefits: 

Data and Monitoring

Every technology works on data today. That means whether it is artificial intelligence in the medical industry or VR in the sector, data is the primary source of energy. Virtual reality in healthcare allows for real-time data collection and monitoring of the responses shared by patients during their simulation sessions. This way, data helps them make the right decision. 

Surgical Planning

Surgeons can perform complex surgeries in a virtual space with the help of VR-based applications. This visualization and step-by-step guidance can help them practice and anticipate challenges more proficients and become the master of their art.  

Improved Communication

The flow of communication among teams should be seamless, and VR has improved it. This technology has made it easier to check the report or anything in a visual context among different members of the team working on a specific case. This way, each member can better understand the case, which further improves the treatment. 

Real-life Use Cases of Virtual Reality in Healthcare 

The wave today has shifted more towards technology. And why not? The significant benefits of technology are the vital reason behind this high-intensive adoption. Every sector has gained momentum, including healthcare. Virtual reality has been a cornerstone in improving patient care. Here are some real-life use cases of VR in healthcare: 

Surgical Training and Simulation 

The growing pace of everything virtual has been helping healthcare professionals perform complex procedures easily in a simulated world with realistic examples. These simulations can be performed on complex tasks or on a routine basis. VR in surgical training allows surgeons to:

• Become a precision master in their skills through situation-like practices.
• Experience how difficult a task can be and how to tackle it.
• Different scenarios are simulated to assess their outcomes. 

Real-life Example:

The Osso VR platform is a popular example of this leading glass-led technology for surgical training. It offers immersive and interactive experiences to practitioners, helping them become the pristine expert. 

Physical Rehabilitation

Another real-life use case of VR in the hospital sector is improving physical therapy and making it more engaging. It helps patients overcome the injuries they are facing. This technology in this area includes:

• Patients actively take part in performing repetitive exercises through VR simulation and games. 
• VR integration in EHR or EMR software allows clinicians to track pain scores and document a treatment plan. 
• The virtual world can distract patients from their pain by letting them experience a different environment.

Real-life Example:

Kaiser Permanente’s Virtual Reality Rehabilitation Program is a well-known example of VR in rehabilitation. In this program, patients suffering from traumatic injuries can be healed through interactive games, where every movement-related activity is performed to help them recover their motor functions. 

Mental Health

Every person is facing anxiety issues, experiencing stress disorders on different things, and has a phobia (either of water, height, fire, or anything else). Their treatment can’t be similar to what others are. Hence, personalized exposure therapy is one of the most effective methods. 

Real-life Example

One of the popular examples is Bravemind VR. A program specifically built by Dr. Albert and his team at the University of Southern California to help military veterans overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

Chronic Disease Management

Chronic diseases might take a year-long to last, like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Parkinson’s is a brain disorder that affects the movement, balance, and coordination progressively. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s is a severe chronic disease that slowly destroys the memory and thinking skills of a human being. 

Now, how does VR help in getting rid of these diseases? In Parkinson’s disease patients, VR exercises help maintain the human mind’s balance and motor function, reducing the chances of stress. In Alzheimer’s, this technology helps through cognitive therapy and improves memory and thinking skills. 

Challenges in Implementing Virtual Reality in Healthcare 

Every process is equipped with challenges, and when it comes to implementation, there might be some hidden and some visible ones. To get a better understanding of this, here are some specific challenges of implementing VR in healthcare industry. 

Higher Initial Costs

Cost is the primary challenge in front of a health-specific institution. As a healthcare institute owner, you must know that the upfront implementation cost is significantly higher for this technology. Smaller clinics, especially investing in either VR headsets or VR development services for health-specific VR-based software, can be costly and challenging. 

Technological Barriers

Technology can be a barrier to medical virtual reality implementation. The complexities it may offer include:

• Patients or doctors unfamiliar with this technology can face difficulty with VR-specific user interfaces, which they find challenging to navigate. 
• Sometimes, limited view field, motion sickness among users, or discomfort due to excessive use can hamper engagement.
• Often seen, VR integration into other systems seemed like a complex puzzle to solve and required additional development efforts. 

Lack of Accessibility 

Head-mounted sets are not always within the range of every patient. While cost is the primary factor, and it’s understandable, it is not always the only factor. Here are some other things that must be addressed effectively.

• A patient suffering from physical limitations (blue light or latency) makes it challenging to use VR. 
•  A lack of digital literacy can sometimes be challenging, as not everyone can use this technology single-handedly. 

Ethical Considerations

Security and all the related concerns are the driving factors that later turn out to be a challenge in the implementation of virtual reality in medical field. 

• Where do healthcare institutions store sensitive data? What practices do they apply? And how do they do it? These are the biggest privacy-related concerns.
• Inadequate training of healthcare professionals can lead to unimagined consequences. 
• Over-reliance only on VR in medical field, which can potentially neglect traditional treatment.  

How to Overcome Challenges of VR in Healthcare Industry? 

Every problem has a solution, and so do the aforementioned implementation challenges. It only requires a strategic and structured approach to the process. Here is how you can overcome them:

Addressing High Cost

As said above, the cost is the primary thing, and vr in healthcare indeed takes a higher price, but this can be sorted. Here is how:

• You can opt for a variety of options, including cloud-based VR platforms, to reduce costs.
• Another way is to collaborate with VR vendors for the best possible price according to your budget. 

Overcoming Technological Barriers

Barriers to technology are one of the driving forces behind the adoption of VR-based applications in healthcare. As said, every barrier has a solution, and so does this can be done effectively if:

• You hire virtual reality developers to build a dedicated team to fix technology-related complexity. 
• Check on whether the integration takes extra development effort or not.

Improving Accessibility 

If you opt for digital transformation services, the accessibility challenge can be resolved. The hired team will check on the adaptive technologies to accommodate patients with disabilities.

Mitigating Ethical Considerations

This mitigation is essential in making VR in healthcare more credible. This can be done by:

• Your hired team will check on security-related compliances like GDPR or HIPPA-compliant healthcare applications to protect data.
• Medical professionals should communicate the pros and cons of VR usage to patients. 

Evaluating the Cost of Virtual Reality in Healthcare 

We are aware of the role, benefits, challenges, and how to overcome them in implementing VR in healthcare. Now, you must be thinking of building VR-specific software but are concerned about the cost of virtual reality in healthcare. A brief understanding of the amount you need to invest is detailed below:

Essential Considerations on the Cost of VR in Healthcare

The cost mentioned in the table above is approximate, but it can be either more or less depending on the specific requirements and the skills of a VR development agency. However, there are some important considerations that you must take care of:

• Keep a close eye on the quantity of headsets you require; you must utilize the demand and supply algorithm for a clearer view. 
• Integrating VR into your legacy systems can increase the development cost. So, ensure the software contains only the necessary features, or opt for legacy software modernization services for expert assistance. 
• Before implementation, healthcare professionals should receive weekly training on VR usage to justify the technology’s investment. 

Future of Virtual Reality in the Medical Field

The future presents a promising side for virtual reality in the hospital sector. Currently, this one of the healthcare technology trends has improved healthcare services from one extent to another, and in the coming years, it surely will improve further. Here is what the future holds:

Advances in VR Technology

More advanced and high-fidelity simulations can be made using technology to improve it. With trends like AI integration or IoT in healthcare, future services through VR can be further enhanced. 

VR-based Remote Consultation

VR-based remote consultations will become possible in health-specific mobile apps, which will be more immersive and interactive. This will improve the remote monitoring of patients by checking the health data in real time. 

Personalized and Advanced Rehabilitation 

The rehabilitation therapy can be improved or become more advanced with motion sensors and machine learning. This will analyze and adapt to the patients’ actions and exercises in real time to gradually improve injuries. 

Craft Secure VR Experiences in Healthcare Industry With SparxIT 

Virtual reality has potential benefits in the healthcare sector. The key to leveraging these advantages lies in the expertise of a skilled service provider like SparxIT. As an experienced VR development company, we help you build a highly immersive web experience that precisely relates to your needs. 

Our team has collaborated with clients of different industries and provided working solutions over the years. Our AI-powered project, Manastha in Healthcare, connects people with professionals and allows them to book online and offline. Similar to this project, we have worked on various advanced technologies and provided a working solution over the years. 

Rely on our expertise in user-friendly virtual environment development. Become one among the rest with years-long precision on your end.