As the medical demand for more personnel and also speedy health care delivery soars highly, the relevance of augmented reality can’t be underestimated. Imagine the increase in the number of diseases and populations with fewer healthcare personnel to help out. Do you think it is possible for a doctor to handle more than a patient per time and still be fast enough to cover many patients? Could there be a modern way of previewing internal structures both healthy and unhealthy ones to aid students who are in medical colleges; Doctors in their treatment and making of diagnosis; patients who need a simulation of their health challenge to understand it better, and for health workers on clinical research on ways cells react to drugs. Yes! It is very possible through the help of augmented reality.
What is augmented reality?
Augmented reality is no more a new term, it is the insertion of computer-generated information into the user’s environment. It is simply the augmenting of real live features with virtual features. In this discussion, it is the incorporation of computer information on top of real-life information about a patient to aid faster understanding and treatment.
Let’s examine the importance of overlaying this additional virtual information on top of real ones in medicine.
Augmented reality helps in diagnosis and treatment
A lot has been invested into this cutting-edge-technology to help medical practitioners utilize the great features in augmented reality to advance the course of tackling illness. For example, through the help of this technology, a 3D image visualization of tumors can be constructed. This helps surgeons to really know the size and the best approach to operate in order to get rid of abnormal growth. It is also used to visualize arteries, veins, and capillaries. There are some medical conditions and states that make it difficult for veins to be located thereby delaying treatment and investigation. Most times the emergency department finds it difficult to locate the vein especially in children but with the invention of augmented technology, the story is now different as it can be seen within seconds and appropriate treatment or procedure done through the vein. Example of App using augmented reality to show veins is the Accuvein scanner which scans and previews the vein for easier location. The success made in Minimal access surgery cannot be complete without the mention of augmented reality as it gives the surgeon a full overview of the surrounding structures within and near the part operated upon by giving guidance and navigation. Not only offering the surgeon direction, but it also helps to reduce harm to the internal structures, in contrast, to open surgery where the surgeon has to cut open to see what he is operating on.
Augmented reality is also revolutionizing the patient-doctor relationship
It is no more a story that patients now visualize their diseases, ranging from the deep brain diseases to peripheral skin diseases, helping them understand what the doctor is saying about their health. It helps to remove every sort of medical ambiguity involved. Imagine that you consulted your doctor over heart-related health issues and after all investigation and testing you are shown exactly what is wrong with your organ in a picture or video format showing exactly where the issue is coming from. You will understand better and adhere to medical instruction better. Isn’t it? That is how much-augmented reality has gone into medicine. Moreover, with augmented reality doctors can also comprehend the pathophysiology behind a disease as it gives more exposed insights into possible cause and complication.
Augmented reality now also helps patients to simulate their health condition and have an idea of what is wrong before consulting a doctor for medical attention. For example; with the help of the Eyedecide app, a patient can visualize and compare his/ her eye defect with the ones in the app. This in no doubt helps the patient have an idea of where the issue is coming from and what could be wrong. It also helps the person know the right time to consult his physician.
Augmented reality also improves medical education
Students at Yale University and other top world universities really know the impact this augmented reality has in their studies. In fact, with the emergence of smartphones and Apple IPads, it is no longer restricted to the top universities as any student with the financial strength can buy the gadget and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer. For example, Anatomical learning has been made easy with the help of the Apple IPad 2020. This is because it shows the structures in 3 dimensions thereby aiding understanding. With these 3D images, the length of time spent to understand a topic is lowered and more medical practitioners with full understanding are produced. The work of lecturers who coach this medical student in the same vein has their work made easy. Practical is the major way to learn and that is exactly what it offers.
Proxima app has also helped many healthcare workers to connect with their colleagues in other parts of the world and fully follow the latest trends, most especially, in surgery. Vijpar is also a video support platform that helps surgeons to tap into the current of other surgeons in other location.
Clinical research and the role of augmented reality
Most pharmaceutical companies have tapped into the opportunities augmented reality has to offer. The ability to turn on or off cells in order to know their responses to drugs is really groundbreaking and reasonably due to this technology. Moreover, augmented reality has made the understanding of drugs reaction, roles, and side effects downstream inside a cell to be gaining weight. This has helped in many research and clinical experiments. Through this, more effective and affordable drugs have been produced thereby advancing the medical course of life. Affordability has also made patients to seek medical attention in time helping doctors to confront diseases at the right time. It has also reduced the huge time invested in clinical trials for example, it was not up to 3 months into the study to come up with a vaccine against COVID-19 and some research laboratories are already coming up with hopes.
Conclusion
Augmented reality has gained ground-saving both the economy of nations and boosting lives of the populace. The fact that there is an increase in smartphones containing app that can augment reality has really enabled people to easily take control of their health while stimulating it with virtual information. It has assisted research works and transformed the way health practitioners tackle diseases by reducing the huge time and ambiguity often experienced in medical practice.
It has made a mark in medical education as medical students now have more effective ways of learning through the 3D images and videos that help them understand faster without the hassle often experienced with none virtual format. Really the importance of augmented reality is still in its nascent stage in medicine but the impacts so far cannot be looked down.