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Essay: Augmented Reality in Health Care

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  • Subject area(s): Health essays
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  • Published: 14 March 2022*
  • Last Modified: 31 July 2024
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  • Words: 2,746 (approx)
  • Number of pages: 11 (approx)

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What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality(AR) is an enhanced version of the reality that we live in which takes live views of real-world environments with computer-generated images over a user’s view of the real world through a visual output device. (Blogs.exeter.ac.uk, 2018) Both virtual and real works coexist to create a mixed reality.

Augmented Reality popularity is something that is rapidly growing and becoming more popular as it lies in the middle of a mixed reality spectrum. Many of the top augmented reality companies are seeing great success by helping other industries embrace and use this technology for their needs. (realitytechnologies,2018) Although first developed conceptually in the early 1990s, Augmented Reality has only begun to touch its potential with the first Augmented Reality consumer applications being developed and put into practice. . (Blogs.exeter.ac.uk, 2018) Augmented Reality is a complex system that involves a virtual trigger which will introduce a virtual presence into a users’ reality.

How It Works

Augmented Reality works with a range of sensors such as cameras, computers and display devices which map digital objects into the real world. The two main aspects of Augmented Reality are the user does not lose touch with reality and it puts information to the eye as quick as possible. (medicalfuturist.,2018)

There are four different types of Augmented reality such as marker-based AR, such as QR code which requires a special visual object and a camera to scan it. Marker-based AR initiates digital animations for users to view and therefore images in a magazine may turn into 3d models. Markerless AR, location based utilises GPS and provide data based on user’s location. With the availability of smartphones this type of AR produces maps, business information and can include events, and information. Projection-based AR which projects synthetic light to physical surfaces, it detects user interaction with a projection. Lastly, Superimposition-based AR which replaces the original view with an augmented reality. Object recognition is a key feature without it. (Thinkmobiles, 2018).

These are distinctive features that will become motivation for the future of medicine as it had the potential to provide powerful, contextual and real-life learning experiences and aid exploration for doctors and nurses in the real world. (medicalfuturist,2018)

Augmented Reality will provide the surgeon with computer-processed imaging data in real-time, the projection of the Augmented Reality will be made possible by displays, and at the most basic level it will superimpose a computer generated image on to a combination of devices; Another possibility is that it will use a special head mounted display which will effectively create the most beneficial way as there is almost no interference in the surgeons view compare to the traditional displays that are used. In the present the applications of AR are limited by the required pre-operation medical image reconstructions and when pre-operation images are created the quality of the reconstruction will depend on the quality and accuracy of the reconstructive system. When the system is created these projections will increase the safety and will reduce the time the procedure takes. (Thimbleby, H., 2013)

What It Does for Multimedia

Augmented reality is changing healthcare from treatments to training. (IMT Innovation, 2018) Medical students will able to learn a new understanding based upon their interaction with augmented reality and bring underlying data to life. Augmented Reality provides a more interactive and authentic learning and will provide students more explore personalised experience in real-life scenarios. (Herron, J., 2018)

Augmented reality has the ability to enhance education and training but more importantly it can lead to better care for patients and the treatment they are receiving as it will be of higher quality and risks of certain surgeries can be reduced. With Augmented Reality the surgeon can be focused on the task at hand rather than requiring monitors in the operating room to display the vital images through an endoscopic camera the surgeon can wear smart glasses. (ZHU E et al, 2014)

Figure 1: Image from Augmented and virtual reality in surgery—the digital surgical environment: applications, limitations and legal pitfalls. (Khor et al. 2016)

In research by Maryland Blended Reality Center they are envisioning applications that a surgeon can use in an AR headset that they will be able to see digital images and other data overlaid in their field of view. The headset will display all the important details that the surgeon needs to see. This is a huge benefit for doctors and patient care as this could save lives and decrease human error, especially in emergency rooms and intensive care unit where the procedure has not been planned, these procedures have minimal support and the rooms are not specifically designed for the procedures that are taking place. Another benefit of this is a cost reduction as there is also the potential to eliminate redundant screens. (Harvard Business Review, 2018)

Any Legal, Ethical, Social and Professional Implications

The biggest obstacles within Augmented Reality in health care are related to ethical and social implications, as there is a large part of the population that are reluctant to try new technology and people do not like cameras pointed at them (The VRARA, 2018)

The ethical implications that come with the use of Augmented Reality technology are the security of patient data, this is also a legal implication to as within the Data Protection Act to ensure that data is kept securely, if augmented reality is used and the data is getting transmitted between two doctors then it needs to be on a secure server especially if they need to be transferred to different people through the application

Another Ethical issue is trying the balance the care quality and efficiency this is an issue all over health care but as this technology and as it is only being introduced is that it as this will be a new concept when introduced to healthcare the primary concern need to be on patient care and being efficient (Larson, 2018)

Professional implications come from the quality of the reconstructions will depend of the level of accuracy and data that was imputed into the application, the better the accuracy the more of an efficient tool this will be as although augmented reality in healthcare sounds like a revolutionary idea if the data that is being imputed onto the display is inaccurate then the operation for example will not be as successful as when they were not using the augmented reality.

Comparison to Current Technologies

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality share plenty of similarities in regard to how they are being deployed in health care. Augmented reality adds to reality whereas Virtual Reality replaces the reality. In terms to deployment however, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are suited to different roles. Virtual reality is a good simulation and there is a lot of research in areas such as rehabilitation and pain relief whereas Augmented Reality has the ability to be life-changing as it can be used in real-time and can be used as the patient is being treated. (Augmented reality versus virtual reality in healthcare, 2018)

Overall in comparison of the two future emerging technologies the solution is that both technologies should be used side by side to deliver a remarkable experience on patients worldwide.

The current technologies used in health care will be superseded with the use of Augmented Reality as they will provide far better care and training and better patient and doctor knowledge.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The strengths of augment reality in healthcare are as follows it will be provide benefits for both patient and doctors, patient risks in minimal surgery will be highly reduced. Patients will also be better informed about the right treatments and illness preventions and in the future Augmented Reality can be used to educate patients about their condition and prepare for the illness that they have to better understand how to deal with the condition. Such technologies that already exist such as AccuVein already make both patient and medical staff’s lives easier. Augmented Reality will also make for better patient aftercare as augmented reality apps can help keep them stay track with treatment at home.

For doctors as mentioned previously it will help with medical training and education, with Augmented Reality training can be done without the risks, and also makes medical training more interactive and will help students use the theory in real world scenarios

Another strength of using augmented reality is that it will be helpful for first responders or even people with no training, as there are already applications out there and there are many that are on their way, even a basic augmented reality medical application could help the user with CPR or help a normal person bandage a wound until the ambulance reaches the patient. This will highly improve how immediate care is given to the person in need. (Robinson, 2017)

The weaknesses of using augmented reality are that surgery can be a long process and if using a smart glass then battery life can be an issue due to at the minute the Microsoft HoloLens has a battery life of around 5.5 at most and it could be an issue in surgery that could last 12 that the device has to change, or you have to stop to charge the glass. This is a use that would need to be improved before the technology is fully used in surgery. Other weaknesses such as how lightweight and wearable the headset could be during the surgery as if wearing the headset during surgery and it is distracting the surgeon or is too heavy on the surgeon head. (Augmented Reality in Medicine, 2018) Another weakness is that the amount of information a surgeon has presented through AR during a surgery is increasing and may be distracting and it will need to if necessary to display only important data or provide a method to switch between different sets of information on demand (Vávra et al, 2017)

Augmented reality also has another weakness, the application would need to make sure that it ensures the confidentiality of the patients’ medical history and the Data Protection Act enduring that it is handling data properly and is protecting patient rights. (Augmented Reality in Medicine, 2018)

How It Moves Things Forward

At the present we are only dipping into Augmented Reality and within the next 10 years it is projected that augmented reality will change in to a mixed reality where unlike the present the use of smartphones will disappear as we only see a glimpse of information with value in our smart phones but with transparent devices that will be worn as glasses you will be able to log information when we look at it see information on people as we meet them and translating a language we don’t speak. We will have the ability to access data instantaneously. (Medium, 2018)

Augmented Reality technologies are already showing their value and will bring even bigger change to healthcare as we know it, as healthcare costs continue to grow augmented reality will play a crucial role to help control, prevent or cure millions of people. (Thinkmobiles, 2018). Applications that already exist such as AED4EU and AccuVein which is vein visualisation, which already provides such benefits as many people are uncomfortable with being injected, this application maps the patients’ veins and makes it far easier to find the vein first time. (HealthManagement,2018)

Evaluation of The Technology

To conclude, it is believed that Augmented Reality will change the course of health care and with a small amount of applications already on the market as mentioned above, with progression and ensuring that the strengths will always outweigh the weaknesses in this technology will provide a crucial role in educating student nurses and providing a much safer environment for patients and patient after-care. The only drawback is record confidentiality which will need to be addressed before augmented reality is fully implemented into health care.

Augmented Reality currently needs more long-term studies especially in outcomes with Augmented Reality start to revolutionise and how will patients will be treated with the technology. (Virtual & Augmented Reality in Healthcare, 2018)

References:

2018-4-30-1525047580

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