AR Transforming Healthcare Practice and Education
Augmented Reality (AR) is emerging as a transformative technology in the healthcare sector, offering new ways to enhance patient care, medical education and clinical practice.
The technology overlays digital content onto the physical world via devices such as smartphones, tablets or specialised glasses to superimpose digital information onto the user's view of the real world.
In a healthcare context, this capability is being harnessed to improve various aspects of medical practice and education.
Just this week, the world’s first clinically proven AR neuro-rehabilitation aid for Parkinson’s disease announced a $3 million collaboration with London's Cleveland Clinic, part of the noted chain of American academic medical centres. Through a software licence agreement, Cleveland Clinic will become a shareholder in Strolll, the manufacturer of the Parkinson’s AR solution.
The deal will see Strolll integrate a digital therapeutic software module into Cleveland Clinic’s platform that was designed to help prevent falls among its Parkinson’s patients by managing postural instability and gait dysfunction.
Fall risk is heightened when a Parkinson’s patient performs an attention-demanding cognitive task while moving – known as dual-tasking.
Traditional dual-task training requires one-on-one attention from a physical therapist throughout a patient’s training session, which places clear limits on how much training can be offered.
But Patients using the Dual-task Augmented Reality Treatment (DART) platform wear augmented reality glasses while completing a series of tasks designed to engage the body and mind simultaneously through physical and cognitive challenges, while gait and cognitive performance is measured through the training.
“To our knowledge, DART is the first digital therapeutic software for Parkinson’s disease that has undergone rigorous evaluation against an accepted intervention in a randomised controlled trial,” said Jay Alberts, Vice Chair of Innovation in Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute.
“The next step is to extend this into the patient’s home. We have an aligned vision for the future of digital therapeutics in neuro-rehab and we’re looking forward to supporting Strolll through this new collaboration.”
Following the Strolll-Cleveland tie-in, we take a look at the wider adoption of AR for medical use cases.
AR in healthcare: Medical education
One of the most significant impacts of AR in healthcare is in medical education. The technology allows students to interact with three-dimensional models of human anatomy, providing a more immersive and comprehensive understanding of the body's structures.
This approach bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills, offering students hands-on experience in a safe, controlled environment. For instance, AR can simulate surgical procedures, allowing trainees to practice complex operations without risk to patients.
AR in healthcare: Surgical precision
In clinical practice, AR is proving valuable in enhancing surgical precision. By providing real-time, three-dimensional guidance during procedures, AR can aid surgeons in navigating complex anatomical structures.
This reduces surgical errors and results in less invasive procedures, aiding faster patient recovery and causing fewer complications.
AR in healthcare: Surgical precision
Diagnosis and treatment planning are also benefiting from AR technology. By rendering complex medical imaging data into more easily interpretable 3D models, AR can assist clinicians in identifying and understanding pathologies more accurately.
This capability extends to treatment planning, where AR can model the potential effects of interventions, allowing for more informed decision-making.
AR in healthcare: patient communications
AR is also finding applications in patient education and communication. By providing visual representations of medical conditions and proposed treatments, healthcare providers can more effectively explain complex medical information to patients.
This can lead to better patient understanding and potentially increased treatment adherence.
AR in healthcare: telemedicine
AR is enabling new forms of remote collaboration among healthcare professionals. Specialists can guide less experienced colleagues through complex procedures in real-time, regardless of geographical location. This capability has the potential to improve access to specialised care, particularly in underserved areas.