Augmented Reality in Healthcare Industry: Use Cases, Examples, and Trends

Augmented reality continues to evolve and spread across a wide range of applications. Since its inception, marketers and technology companies have had to combat the idea that augmented reality is nothing more than a marketing tool. Although the name has become a part of our common vocabulary, what is augmented reality?

Augmented reality, or AR, is an improved version of the real physical world. It is created by combining digital visual components, sound, or sensory stimuli and delivered through technology. The rise of data collection and analysis has led to augmented reality. AR aims to emphasize certain aspects of the physical environment. It enhances understanding of those features. It offers useful perspectives to solve real-world problems.

Learn more about AR and VR technology applications in healthcare through this ultimate augmented reality guide.

Impact of Augmented Reality on Healthcare

Augmented reality has begun to transform medical care. It enables entirely new treatments and diagnostics. It also changes the delivery of care and where it is delivered. Projected statistics estimate the global AR market will produce $152 billion by 2030. Analysts expect it to grow at a CAGR of 36%. Experts also expect the global AR healthcare industry to experience a growth of 26% from 2022 to 2027.

The ability to provide new types of information is central to diagnosis and treatment. AR does this in immersive and realistic ways. The treatments are also tailored to an array of clinical contexts. Physicians, patients, and caregivers can use AR to help prepare specific treatments or procedures. They can also use AR to perform them.

Benefits of Augmented Reality in Healthcare Industry

It is now quite evident that AR in healthcare industry improves medical training. It also helps improve surgical precision. It transforms complex medical data into lively, engaging graphics. Surgeons can bring these graphics into the operating room. AR changes medical education from monotonous textbooks to engaging journeys.

Let us now dive further into the multifaceted benefits of augmented reality in medical field.

• Augmented and virtual reality in healthcare improves medical education and training. It offers realistic simulations of surgeries and procedures.
• Overlaying relevant information during surgeries improves precision and lowers the risk of errors.
• AR enables remote consultations. It allows healthcare professionals to see real-time patient conditions. They can also share medical data during virtual appointments.
• It improves patient comprehension by visually describing medical conditions and their treatments.
• AR helps with rehabilitation. It does this through interactive exercises that increase patient engagement in recovery programs.
• Immersive therapeutic experiences through AR help with mental health therapy and relaxation techniques.
• Medical imaging is more accurate by superimposing 3D images of a patient’s body during surgery.
• AR helps people with impairments by providing real-time information about their surroundings. This promotes inclusivity in healthcare.

How Can Augmented Reality Be Used in Healthcare?

The use of AR VR in healthcare has become an effective means of learning for medical professionals. Innovators in retail developed AR to improve the shopping experience. However, AR has made a much bigger impact in healthcare, where it saves lives. Here are a few of the many applications of augmented reality in medicine.

1. Medical Training and Education

AR allows medical professionals to practice procedures in a simulated setting. It offers a realistic and immersive training experience. This eliminates the need for cadavers or patients. Medical students can use augmented reality to visualize complex anatomical structures. They can see organs, bones, and blood vessels. This makes learning more interactive and engaging.

2. Surgical Navigation

AR helps surgeons perform procedures. It superimposes information, such as patient data, imaging results, and anatomical structures, directly onto the surgical area. This can improve precision while lowering the risk of errors. It can also give real-time guidance for less invasive procedures. This results in more efficient surgeries and shorter recovery durations.

3. Remote Consultations and Telemedicine

Remote consultations allow healthcare professionals to see patients’ physical condition in real time. They can also display augmented medical data during virtual appointments. During telemedicine sessions, AR can improve communication between healthcare providers and patients. It provides information in a more visual and understandable format.

4. Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy

Visual cues and feedback from AR can help patients perform exercises correctly. This allows them to recover from injuries or surgeries more effectively. AR applications can be used in rehabilitation settings. They provide interactive exercises and activities to patients. This can lead to increased engagement in rehabilitation programs.

5. Patient Education

The use of AR in healthcare helps patients visualize the effects of specific lifestyle changes or medical procedures on their health. AR can help patients understand their medical conditions and treatment options. This visual approach can help patients adhere to their prescribed health regimens.

6. Mental Health Support

Developers are creating AR applications to assist mental health therapy. The apps provide immersive, therapeutic environments. This can be especially useful for exposure therapy and relaxation techniques. AR can also help people manage stress and anxiety. It offers guided meditation and mindfulness exercises.

7. Advanced Medical Imaging

AR improves medical imaging by superimposing 3D images from CT scans, MRIs, and other imaging modalities on a patient’s body. It’s used for diagnosis or surgeries. This increases the precision of medical procedures. Surgeons can visualize organs and anomalies in real time. This helps them make more informed decisions during procedures.

Augmented Reality Trends in Today’s Healthcare Industry

The market growth of augmented reality can be attributed to recent technological advancements in the healthcare industry. The global AR VR in healthcare industry is expected to grow over the next five years. The increasing use of teleconsultation, telemedicine, and other online healthcare services will drive it. Successful trends driving this market have begun to surface. They are shaping the future of augmented reality in the healthcare sector and the world at large. Here are a few of the latest trends in healthcare that are redefining the industry.

1. Wound care management

Augmented reality helps with wound care. It provides visual feedback on the wound’s healing status. The methods used to assess wounds are typically incorrect. They are also challenging for the patient. Doctors use an AR projector to create a 3D model of the wound. They use this model and the patient’s health data to recommend the right exercises. It also allows nurses to dress the wound correctly. AR in wound healing improves patients’ adherence to the doctor’s advice.

2. Patient Records Management

Data storage ensures that patient records are never misplaced, damaged, or lost. One can simply scan a patient’s hospital wristband to view their patient history. AR retrieves this information from the EMR database. It reduces the time required for diagnosis and decision-making. AR is a useful tool that allows doctors to access patient charts from the EMR system. It also projects details in their field of vision while they attend to a patient. AR glasses and AR charts relieve doctors and nurses from extensive paperwork.

3. Hospital Navigation

Large hospitals have multiple floors and buildings. This makes indoor and outdoor way finding difficult. Additionally, they lack maps and signs in every location. The development of calibrated graphics helps simplify complex AR in such a larger medical setting. The patient’s cellphone camera overlays real-time virtual arrows on top of actual images. This allows patients to navigate medical facilities. They can get to their desired location through the shortest route.

4. Robotic Surgery

RAS devices have recently gained popularity as they improve surgical precision. Surgery with AR provides an interface that enhances user perception. AR will be used in various RAS fields in the coming years. These fields include robotic hepatic surgery and tracking systems. They also include pre-surgery imaging, 3D rendering, and robotic ultrasound.

Future of Augmented Reality in Health Industry

AR is expected to play an important role in diagnosis, treatment, and surgery as technology advances. The future of virtual and augmented reality in the healthcare industry is set for revolutionary advances. It offers an evolution in patient care. Surgeons can use AR-enhanced procedures with holographic overlays to ensure unparalleled precision.

As AR applications become integrated into treatment plans, patient engagement will skyrocket. They will provide immersive educational experiences and assist with therapeutic interventions. AR will also benefit telemedicine. It will allow for more in-depth interactions between healthcare providers and patients in virtual environments.

The combination of AI-driven diagnostics and AR visualization will improve medical imaging. It will allow for faster and more accurate assessments. Collaborating between tech innovators and healthcare professionals is expected to open up new avenues of innovation. Ultimately, it will reshape healthcare delivery and improve patient outcomes.

Augmented reality healthcare companies also play a major role in creating a ripple by providing various services and devices. Check out top augmented reality companies that are paving the way.