VIRTUAL REALITY FOR MEDICAL AND HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENTS

Treatment of phobias:

Virtual reality offers the possibility of creating immersive scenarios that allow for the administration of appropriate exposure therapies based on each patient’s phobia. Therapy can be administered in stages by creating other environments in which the phobic stimulus gradually increases. Since these are virtual environments, patient safety is not compromised. If a patient suffers from vertigo, they will first be asked to stand on a chair. After a series of progressively difficult tests, they will be asked to stand on the edge of a cliff, obviously without any risk to the patient’s physical integrity.

Digital simulations are very effective in treating certain attention disorders. When examining a patient’s vision, the immersive experience will make it possible to identify the directions in which they are looking. This will enable the creation of experiences tailored to each patient, with programmed distractions that will serve to control their attention and act on the data collected.

Virtual reality allows the avatars of people with whom a patient has or has had difficulty relating to throughout their life to be simulated. In this way, the patient can interact with these people artificially and address their relationship problems at different levels. Among other things, virtual reality helps to partially overcome the fear of being judged by others: if a patient does not feel comfortable dealing with a therapist, they could be encouraged to deal with a computer. It should be noted that no patient can undergo therapy, whether in person or remotely, without the supervision of a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Virtual reality allows people with physical disabilities or reduced mobility to enjoy experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible to them, such as exploring natural environments, participating in sports activities, etc. It also offers educational and innovative benefits, enabling many disabled people to learn how to perform certain everyday activities.

The ability to virtually recreate any type of environment is very useful for guided meditation and stress management applications. In a noisy waiting room or an office full of people working hard, a virtual reality device with meditation apps can be ideal for relaxation. In addition, these types of applications can improve the management of anxiety crises or panic attacks.

The high immersion capacity of virtual reality is very useful in pain therapy or during particularly invasive treatments or operations, and can contribute to reducing the amount of anesthesia required. Thanks to virtual reality, a patient whose mind is elsewhere will be distracted from what is happening to them during an operation.

The patient undergoes a series of tests that will require them to interact in everyday situations. This method facilitates an accurate assessment of the severity of the injuries sustained and, consequently, allows for care that is better suited to each patient’s rehabilitation needs.