Media coverage
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Media coverage
Title Extended Reality Applications for Primary Care: CI MED Professor's Research Snapshots Futuristic Care Degree of recognition International Media name/outlet University of Illinois - College of Medicine Media type Web Country/Territory United States Date 12/01/24 Description Imagine your doctor prescribing virtual reality goggles along with your refill of anti-anxiety medication. Clinicians are tapping into extended reality technologies for use in specialties such as surgery, and now there’s evidence of an emerging trend to incorporate these tools in primary health care, according to a new study co-authored by a Carle Illinois College of Medicine professor. The research provides a snapshot of current efforts across the globe to leverage technologies like VR to advance general medical practice, with applications for mental health, pain management, and relief of procedure-related anxiety.
"The use of XR with medical care is a rapidly growing, exciting direction that has multiple possible implications towards a clinician’s ability to educate, diagnose, and treat individuals,” said CI MED Teaching Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies Roberto Galvez, who co-authored the study along with a team of international researchers. “Unfortunately, as is the case with many rapidly developing fields, it is often difficult to discern which XR clinical applications have scientifically tested benefits. Our systematic review examined which applications of XR technology have been shown to be clinically beneficial."
Extended reality is a broad term for technology that alters the user’s view of reality with virtual displays, projections, or experiences. Augmented reality (AR) supplements the real-world experience by overlaying it with virtual media, while virtual reality (VR) uses headsets or goggles to create a more immersive experience of a virtual environment. Their use by medical educators and clinicians in specialties such as surgery has far outpaced adoption for patient-centered primary care.
Galvez’s team reviewed existing research studies conducted in countries worldwide, including Singapore, Spain, Brazil, Sweden, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. They discovered several key areas of medical practice in which extended reality has been applied in the primary care setting and found other areas of potential future application.URL https://medicine.illinois.edu/news/extended-reality-applications-for-primary-care-ci-med-professors-research-snapshots-futuristic-care Persons Shanna Fealy