Forget gaming or journalism; virtual reality will revolutionize the health industry

You wouldn’t know it from the sessions at the 2016 South by Southwest Conference, which included “VR, AR and Digital Storytelling” or “Immersive Content: The Future of Storytelling” as but two of the sessions in the new VR/AR Track.

You can’t blame filmmakers and journalists from flocking to this new medium, which is being heralded as ‘an empathy machine’ as it allows participants to play a more active role in engaging with the space around them. As the ‘godmother of virtual reality’ Nonny de la Peña exclaimed, it allows journalists to ‘be able to tell the story and not get in the way as the broadcaster.’ To just show people and invite them to ‘see for themselves.’ These rich experiences take time and talent to conceive of and produce, which may save journalism from the attack of citizen (social media) reporting.

But as many of those involved in the industry are quick to point out, virtual reality is not just the evolution of film. It is a new media, and some feel it has the potential to be as revolutionary as the Internet itself.

What makes virtual reality so world-changing is its impact on our mind and body.

Walter Greenleaf of Stanford is an expert on the medical applications of virtual reality technology, and has spoken and written at length about the how virtual reality can be used for psychiatry and physical rehabilitation. Over five years ago he presented on how virtual worlds have been shown to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), provide social skills training to children with autism and treat phobias and anxiety disorders.’ Of course, we’ve seen tremendous technological advances since 2011, so these experiences are even more effective and robust now. Another study from 2012 found that the virtual reality game “SnowWorld” was more effective than morphine in helping burn victims manage pain.

This ability of virtual reality to hijack the brain and the senses is also being applied in sports, where many NFL teams are using virtual reality to help players practice plays without the risk of too much physical impact. What was once fancifully referred to as “visualization” or “mental preparation” has proven to have real physiological results for athletes, and the ability of virtual reality to create focus and immersion may further increase the efficacy of non-physical training.

And of course, there’s money to be had

Health and wellness is an enormous industry. Global Industries Analysts, Inc projects that the global market for virtual reality in healthcare will reach $3.8 billion by 2020. This is due to the convergence of technological innovation, an aging population and a move towards preventative care and minimal/non-invasive procedures.

While virtual reality holds allure for consumers, the costs associated with production (both of the headsets themselves as well as the content) aren’t easily recoverable. While early adopters can drive some demand for this new medium, it’s unlikely that entertainment-focused consumers will pay enough to offset these development costs.

But as we continue to see the impact virtual reality can have on health and wellness, we stand to lower barriers to adoption across the board. Insurance providers can fund research and development into improving the programs available. They can subsidize virtual reality preventative care programs. This drives demand for the headsets, which can lead to more development and efficiencies of scales for producers.

We have already seen how health-related wearables like fitness trackers have widespread adoption. These devices provide personalized health data in an engaging way, and virtual reality stands to do the same.