Augmented reality

U Michigan Health will leverage mixed reality for student clinical practice

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 12/20/21

The University of Michigan Health is co-developing a mixed reality program for medical students. The institution is working with GigXR to develop the XR Procedure Training Suite, a training application that uses holographic patients and mixed reality to help students develop manual and practical skills.

GigXR, which produces HoloHuman and HoloPatient, is a provider of immersive learning solutions for universities and medical systems.

According to the two organizations, learners will be able to observe many “presentations” of patients and practice diagnostic techniques such as taking vital signs, listening to the patient’s lungs and comparing X-rays and CT scans. . Instructors can also introduce complications into the scenarios, such as rapid deterioration in vital signs, disease progression, perforated vessels, vomiting, bleeding, procedural complications, and pain.

“Traditional simulation methods require students to work with laboratory equipment, such as mannequins and task trainers, which are increasingly difficult to access and apply on a large scale,” said Mark Cohen. , professor of surgery, pharmacology and biomedical engineering at Michigan Medicine, the university’s medical center, in a statement. “Mixed reality places the holographic patient right in front of the learner, to visualize critical techniques, such as aspiration of an abscess and placement of a line, while maintaining the collaborative and hands-on experience of standing around. of the patient with other learners. “

Cohen added that being able to “safely practice skills and techniques outside of a simulation lab, or in any environment, with high-fidelity, real-life XR patients” speeds up “l ‘readiness and readiness for the clinic’.

Citing a systematic review of studies on the use of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality that found it 93% effective as a primary or additional teaching tool, Cohen noted that the goal of creation The training suite was not only to accelerate skill development, but also to empower instructors “to deliver training that results in more effective and safer patient care which, ultimately, would lead to better patient outcomes ”.

Training is delivered through an immersive learning platform developed by GigXR and will be accessible on Microsoft’s HoloLens and iOS and Android devices. Instructors will be able to launch classes, use one-click QR codes for student connections, and reuse lesson plans with grades or comments during class.

The release of the training suite is scheduled for mid-2022.