XR in Healthcare to Meet Training Challenges

Realities are changing and we have new ones like augmented reality of AR, virtual reality or VR, and mixed reality or MR. Collectively all these realities are called XR or extended reality. Each of these are proving to be effective pedagogical approaches to help develop a generation of skilled and trained medical professionals who are prepared to take on real world challenges with confidence. Implementing XR in healthcare as part of the training programs ensures that quality training and practice opportunities are made available to learners, fulfilling a significant need of the healthcare training scenario.

Healthcare Training Scenario

The shortage of experienced trainers is of grave concern when it comes to healthcare training. This could further translate into there being insufficient professionals to take care of the population. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported a critical shortage of nursing faculty, resulting in the turning away of over 90,000 qualified applicants in 2021. According to another report released by AACN in 2022, “2,166 full-time faculty vacancies were identified in a survey of 909 nursing schools with baccalaureate and/or graduate programs across the country.”

When it comes to physicians the scenario is not very different either. According to a report published by AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges), “the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.” These figures are nothing but alarming. An ill-equipped healthcare system spells trouble for the population.

This shortage can be attributed to several factors. Changing population demographics, burnout among professionals and changes brought about by the pandemic can be considered to be some of the primary reasons.

How XR Healthcare Training Solutions Can Overcome Training Challenges

Challenges in the field healthcare education are critical and continuous effort is being made to overcome them. XR healthcare training solutions come across as a beacon of hope as it helps provide a solution to a number of issues. In many respects, XR proves to be a highly effective means of providing realistic training in safe and controlled environments.

Immersive Learning Environments: When a learner embarks on a training in the virtual world the learner becomes part of that reality, getting completely immersed in the scenario. This virtual space is a close replica of diverse real world set ups providing realistic and engaging training experiences to learners. They get to perform procedures on virtual patients, using affordances provided in the scenario. With AI-powered virtual patients like the ones offered by AI Humans, the realism quotient is increased, helping learners engage with the content more effectively. Virtual simulations enable practice in patient assessments, medication administration and decision making, enhancing clinical skills.

• Addressing Faculty Shortages: XR training solutions are asynchronous in nature and allow learners to learn anywhere and anytime. The constant need of a trainer is not necessary and session-end debriefings provide a detailed performance analysis of the activities undertaken. Virtual simulations can accommodate a large number of students, ensuring qualified applicants are not turned away due to faculty shortages.
• Accessible and scalable: XR healthcare training solutions provide easily accessible and highly scalable training opportunities. Training in a virtual space eliminates the need of elaborate physical facilities as well the requirement of physical equipment. This further means that training with digitally created equipment protects highly expensive equipment from the wear and tear of training sessions. Once familiar with the equipment in XR, learners can graduate to using the real ones with better skills, practice and confidence. Scalability is barely a problem. Once a virtual program is developed, it can be used by any number of learners from anywhere is the world. There is no limitation on the time, place, and the number of learners. Moreover, multiple learners can meet in one common place to perform a procedure as they would in a real-world setup, performing as a team, with each one joining from anywhere in the world.
• Enhancing Education Quality: XR training programs, like the ones from MedVR, are tailored to offer personalized learning experiences, helping meet learner proficiency levels. Hands-on practice and unique individualized feedback means every learner is aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Immediate feedback and assessment help students identify areas for improvement, refining clinical competencies and bridging the gap between theory and practice.
• AI in training: Along with these positives, the integration of AI has taken the training experience in virtual environments several notches higher. With the integration of AI Humans to MedVR Education simulations, patients have acquired the ability to act, react and respond like real humans. Learners can now practice their patient assessment skills for a vast range of conditions, helping them understand what questions to ask, how to ask and how to follow up on patient responses.

XR in healthcare, paired with AI, presents a revolutionary solution to the challenges plaguing the U.S. healthcare training system. By providing immersive and accessible training experiences, VR enhances education quality while addressing resource constraints. As the training scenario evolves, the integration of XR into the healthcare training curriculum provides a promising future in helping shape a highly skilled healthcare workforce equipped to meet the demands of modern healthcare.