Virtual Environments For Health Care

This edited book focuses on the role and use of VR for healthcare professions in both health and rehabilitation settings. It is also offers future trends of other emerging technology within medicine and allied health professions. This text draws on expertise of leading medical practitioners and researchers who utilise such VR technologies in their practices to enhance patient/service user outcomes. Research and practical evidence is presented with a strong applied emphasis to further enhance the use VR technologies within the community, the hospital and in education environment(s). The book may also be used to influence policymakers on how healthcare delivery is offered.

Within the last few years, devices that are increasingly capable of offering an immersive experience close to reality have emerged. As devices decrease in size, the interest and application possibilities for them increase. In the healthcare sector, there is an enormous potential for virtual reality development, as this technology allows, on the one hand, the execution of operations or processes at a distance, decoupling realities; and on the other hand, it offers the possibility of simulation for training purposes, whenever there are contexts of risk to the patient or to the health professional. However, virtual reality devices and immersion in virtual environments still requires some improvement as complaints such as headaches and nausea are still common among users, and so continuous research and development is critical to progress the technology. Emerging Advancements for Virtual and Augmented Reality in Healthcare synthesizes the trends, best practices, methodologies, languages, and tools used to implement virtual reality and create a positive user experience while also discussing how to implement virtual reality into day-to-day work with a focus on healthcare professionals and related areas. The application possibilities and their impact are transversal to all areas of health and fields such as education, training, surgery, pain management, physical rehabilitation, stroke rehabilitation, phobia therapy, and telemedicine. Covering topics such as mental health treatment and virtual simulations, it is ideal for medical professionals, engineers, computer scientists, researchers, practitioners, managers, academicians, teachers, and students.

Medical and technological organizations have recently developed therapy and assistance solutions that venture beyond what is considered conventional for individuals with various mental health conditions and behavioral disorders such as autism, Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety disorders, phobias, and learning difficulties. Through the use of virtual and augmented reality, researchers are working to provide alternative therapy methods to treat these conditions, while studying the long-term effects the treatment has on patients. Virtual and Augmented Reality in Mental Health Treatment provides innovative insights into the use and durability of virtual reality as a treatment for various behavioral and emotional disorders and health problems. The content within this publication represents the work of e-learning, digital psychology, and quality of care. It is designed for psychologists, psychiatrists, professionals, medical staff, educators, and researchers, and covers topics centered on medical and therapeutic applications of artificial intelligence and simulated environment.

Teaching Health Care in Virtual Space is the first “how-to” manual for health educators on the instructional use of three-dimensional, computer-generated virtual environments that can be inhabited simultaneously by many participants; commonly called “multi-user virtual learning environments” or MUVE. Based on her experience supervising more than 400 learning activities in Second Life®—as of 2014, the largest public (free) MUVE—Dr. Estelle Codier has written a step-by-step handbook for novice and experienced MUVE teachers alike. The book provides those new to virtual teaching with specific steps to assess their own instructional readiness, guidance for assessing student and class readiness, as well as detailed descriptions of problem prevention and solutions. The text is accompanied by lively case studies of both success and failure in virtual learning environments. Inspiring stories of student learning illustrate the power of MUVE to transform health care education. This innovative handbook presents an extended discussion of the pedagogical advantages for learning in multi-user virtual environments, along with a history of learning in Second Life®. The text includes an appendix of supporting materials for MUVE learning activities: evaluation grids, grading matrices, syllabus descriptions, and detailed orientation materials for both faculty and students. While the sample learning activities were designed for nurses, instructors in other disciplines could easily adapt them for use in any MUVE setting.

Teaching Health Care in Virtual Space is the first “how-to” manual for health educators on the instructional use of three-dimensional, computer-generated virtual environments, called “multi-user virtual learning environments” or MUVE. Dr. Estelle Codier has written a step-by-step handbook based on her experience supervising more than 400 learning activities in Second Life®. The book provides specific steps to assess instructional readiness and guidance for assessing student and class readiness. The text is accompanied by lively case studies of student learning illustrate the power of MUVE to transform health care education.The text includes an appendix of evaluation grids, grading matrices, syllabus descriptions, and detailed orientation materials for both faculty and students. While the sample learning activities were designed for nurses, instructors in other disciplines could easily adapt them for use in any MUVE setting.