Impact of VR in Healthcare and Training

MediSim VR is a leading healthcare simulation company that offers patent technology designed to meet the unique needs of healthcare training worldwide. Medisim VR’s AI-powered competency assessment tools and immersive virtual training environments elevate the performance of medical students, nursing students, doctors, and healthcare professionals by offering unparalleled immersive experiences that redefine medical education

Jeno Manickam Durairaj is co-founder/CTO of Medisim VR and  a highly skilled software engineer with a wealth of experience in game development and virtual reality technologies. He has over 10 years of experience working with the Unity 3D Engine and has produced games with over 10 million downloads on the Play Store and App Store. In addition to his software development skills, Jeno has experience working with hardware and sensors for VR simulations.

PCQ: How do you operate the simulation process in VR in healthcare?

Jeno Manickam Durairaj: Simulation, at its core, involves crafting scenarios that mirror reality as closely as possible. This entails a deep understanding of fluid dynamics, along with integrating various layers and supporting elements such as audio, visual, and the tactile 'touch and feel' layer. VR/AR/MR serve as the medium for these simulations, offering a unique blend of immersion and interactivity.

Virtual reality, in particular, excels in three key areas: revisiting historical moments, teleporting users to any location instantly, and, most importantly, training professionals by equipping them with necessary skills in a completely immersive environment. While I may hold a slight bias, I firmly believe that training is where VR truly shines. The depth of learning and retention of information achieved when one is fully immersed in a simulated environment is unparalleled.

With over a decade of expertise in simulation across various fields—from transportation (including buses, trains, and tractors) to welding—our team at MediSim VR has honed its skills in creating immersive, realistic training modules. Our background in game development plays a crucial role in this. Game developers, in our experience, have an edge over traditional software developers because of their adeptness at crafting engaging, interactive experiences—a skill essential for effective simulation.

Utilizing game development engines, we've been able to push the boundaries of what's possible in VR simulations. The intersection of AI and simulation is another area where we excel. AI has been a component of game development since the days of Pac-Man, and our early adoption of AI for creating responsive, adaptive simulation environments has kept us at the forefront of VR innovation.

At MediSim VR, we are a simulation company that uses VR not just as a tool, but as a canvas to reimagine the potential of professional training and education. Our commitment to fidelity, combined with our passion for technology and education, drives us to continuously explore the boundaries of what simulation can achieve in professional development and beyond.

PCQ: How is the training process carried out through VR in medical healthcare?

Jeno Manickam Durairaj: Training using VR combines visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic ways of learning. In VR, you learn by doing what you would in real life, in a safe and immersive environment. In VR training, interactivity isn’t just a feature—it’s the cornerstone of transformative experiences.

The efficacy of VR training is evidenced by its remarkable outcomes across various industries, with Boeing Simulation Training as a prime example. Here, VR’s interactive capabilities led to a 75% decrease in training time and a 33% increase in accuracy, underscoring the technology’s potential to enhance learning outcomes significantly. A recent PWC report, states that VR learners are 4x faster to train than in the classroom setup. They are 27% more confident in applying the skills they learned and have a higher level of concentration and emotional connection than classroom learners.

When we narrow our focus to the medical healthcare sector, the stakes are inherently higher. Simulating healthcare situations presents a unique set of challenges due to the complexity and high stakes of medical procedures. However, the rewards are equally significant, if not more so.

By integrating VR into medical training, we aim to reduce medical errors—a leading cause of concern in healthcare—thereby indirectly saving lives. Creating learning modules where physics and fidelity to real-life situations are perfected is important to succeed in healthcare training. I believe that if we can successfully simulate healthcare scenarios with all their intricacies, we can potentially simulate any situation.