The New Era of Healthcare in the Digital Age: Implications in Clinical Practice

Since the start of the pandemic, a report has shown that 80% of healthcare providers hope to invest more in healthcare technologies in the upcoming years.1 This is largely due to the rapid digitisation of the healthcare industry because of the pandemic, which will create more changes in the way we develop and deliver new treatments and services in healthcare. Evidence has shown that more than half the patients surveyed in the report are open to the possibility of telehealth, provided that proper care is still delivered.1 

Extended reality (XR) is a new and upcoming technology that has the potential to improve clinical care. It encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR); these require the use of lenses or headsets that can place us in a virtual environment (VR) or overlay virtual elements on real-time images of the things around us (AR/MR).2 For example, doctors and surgeons can use VR headsets to simulate surgeries. This is a cost-effective, safe, and reproducible alternative compared to training on cadavers or on live people under the supervision of a doctor.3  These tools will allow valuable data, such as optimal trajectories for surgical tools, to be collected. Subsequently, this will enable the training of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to assist surgeons during a procedure, making it safer. The data can also be compared amongst trainees allowing educators to individualize training catered to a person’s educational goals.3 Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have created a VR simulator to allow surgeons to successfully practice operating on skull-based procedures, which require very refined techniques. This will allow surgeons to master absolute precision to ensure the utmost safety for patients. 3  

In the 29th Online Conference of the Asian Heart and Thoracic Surgery Society, the “metaverse”, which is a reproduction of reality in a virtual space, has been used to train surgeons to perform lung cancer surgery.4 The metaverse can be understood by thinking of popular platforms today, such as using avatars in virtual spaces in Roblox and Fortnite. In the conference, participants wore a head-mounted display and were in a 360° environment like in a video game. They set up their individual avatars and entered a virtual classroom to view lectures on lung cancer surgery techniques.  They were able to view the surgical process in a virtual environment while the actual surgery was being broadcast in the smart operating room of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.4 Participants later explained that it was as though they were observing the procedure in the actual operating room, as they could see the surgeon, other staff, and the environment as desired through the camera built into the operating room. They were also able to see how the operating room nurses handed over surgical tools and could observe every corner of the operating room as if they were there themselves. 

Thus, the introduction of these cutting-edge technologies will revolutionize healthcare delivery, improving patient outcomes and physicians’ clinical skills. 

References:

1. Epalm. Future of healthcare report: Exploring healthcare stakeholders’ expectations for the next chapter [Internet]. HIMSS. HIMSS; 2022 [cited 2023Mar19]. Available from: https://www.himss.org/resources/future-healthcare-report-exploring-healthcare-stakeholders-expectations-next-chapter 
2. Marr B. The five biggest healthcare tech trends in 2022 [Internet]. Forbes. Forbes Magazine; 2022 [cited 2023Mar19]. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/01/10/the-five-biggest-healthcare-tech-trends-in-2022/?sh=36b5a7ba54d0 
3. Fadelli I. A virtual reality simulator to train surgeons for skull-base procedures [Internet]. Tech Xplore – Technology and Engineering news. Tech Xplore; 2021 [cited 2023Mar19]. Available from: https://techxplore.com/news/2021-12-virtual-reality-simulator-surgeons-skull-base.html 
4. Koo H. Training in lung cancer surgery through the metaverse, including extended reality, in the smart operating room of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions. 2021;18:33.