虛擬現實技術成為醫院培訓利器

一些醫院正在利用虛擬現實技術對醫護人員進行操作流程培訓。這種培訓方式不僅有利于受訓者充分理解培訓內容，還能幫助醫療機構大幅降低培訓成本。

移動虛擬現實設備如Google Cardboard、Gear VR和VR One正在改變醫院和醫療服務提供商培訓醫生、護士和醫務人員的方式。

增強現實和虛擬現實技術公司Next Galaxy Corp已經與邁阿密兒童醫院展開合作，針對心肺復蘇術、鼻胃管插入、導尿管插入、插管法、靜脈注射、傷口護理、海姆立克式操作法等操作流程，開發虛擬現實醫療教學軟件。

盡管虛擬現實技術還處在初級階段，但它的用途已經開始顯現。邁阿密兒童醫院首席執行官納倫德拉?基尼博士聲稱，在接受虛擬現實技術培訓一年之后，受訓者的記憶留存水平高達80%，而傳統培訓的這項數據僅為20%。基尼表示，人們實際上是在創造記憶，就像他們之前做過同樣的操作一樣。

基尼表示：“通過虛擬現實技術，人們能高度理解培訓內容，因為人類主要是視覺動物，而虛擬現實技術就是一種視覺傳達模式。我們相信，反復的訓練并維持技能的熟練度，在許多場合下能夠對醫療效果產生重大影響。很多情況下沒有足夠的病人來讓醫護人員熟練這些技能，虛擬現實技術就可以作為補充。也想象一下我們需要通過練習獲得認證的場景。在這種情況下，虛擬現實技術簡直就是天賜之物。”

虛擬現實技術培訓還能幫助醫院和醫療機構降低成本。Next Galaxy公司首席執行官瑪麗?斯皮奧表示，病患教育和醫護人員的職業培訓占據了醫療保健費用中很大的一部分。醫療保健的知識每過6到8年就會翻一番，所以新技能培訓的需求始終存在。

例如，美國有6.5萬家老年看護中心，平均每年要為每位員工花費3000美元培訓氣管插管。這項操作十分復雜，在虛擬現實技術出現之前，只能在活人身上練習。由于老年看護行業的離職率非常高，每家機構每年為這項特殊培訓花費的成本可能高達幾萬美元。

不過Next Galaxy正在開發一項橫跨任何iOS和Android移動設備的虛擬現實技術軟件，其使用成本非常低廉。使用虛擬現實技術培訓氣管插管，也免去了前往特定培訓中心的需要，每人的培訓成本僅僅40美元。

除了節省成本之外，虛擬現實技術培訓還有其他優點。Next Galaxy的虛擬現實技術軟件使用了Leap Motion力反饋技術，如此一來，醫護人員在操作錯誤時，能夠有所感覺。在真正的病人身上操作時伴隨著許多風險，如器官穿孔、可能的治療失當或是引發其他法律訴訟。

Next Galaxy正在與許多醫院、診所、護養院、輔助醫療機構和醫學院，就多項虛擬現實技術教育項目進行合作。斯皮奧表示，目前的視頻和圖表等培訓方式，留下了許多需要人們去想象的空間，而虛擬現實技術可以用逼真的3D數碼成像栩栩如生地展現出器官。

斯皮奧表示，有關心肺復蘇術和海姆立克式操作法的虛擬現實軟件已于2015年第4季度在iTunes和Google Play上架，每款售價4.99美元。如此一來，人人都可以通過虛擬現實技術學習這些救生技巧。

基尼相信，隨著時間的推移，虛擬現實技術會融入消費者的體驗中，成為護理溝通、獲取許可、向病人解釋操作步驟等一切醫療環節的標準。（財富中文網）

譯者：嚴匡正

審校：任文科

Virtual reality allows medical professionals to practice procedures that don’t occur frequently in real life.

Mobile virtual reality devices like Google Cardboard, Gear VR, and VR One are changing the way hospitals and health care providers are training doctors, nurses, and medical personnel.

Augmented and virtual reality company Next Galaxy Corp has partnered with Miami Children’s Hospital to develop virtual reality medical instructional software for procedures like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), nasal gastric tube insertion, Foley catheter insertion, intubation, starting an IV, wound care, and the Heimlich maneuver.

Although still in its early days, VR usage is paying off. According to Dr. Narendra Kini, CEO at Miami Children’s Hospital, the retention level a year after a VR training session can be as much as 80%, compared to 20% retention after a week with traditional training. Kini says people are actually creating memories, so it’s like they’ve done the procedure before.

“The level of understanding through VR is great because humans are primarily visual and VR is a visual format,” Kini says. “We believe that there are numerous opportunities where repetitive training and skill set maintenance are critical for outcomes. Since there are not enough patients in many cases to maintain these skill sets, virtual reality is a real addition to the arsenal. Imagine also scenarios where we need to practice for accreditation and or compliance. In these situations virtual reality is a god-send.”

VR training also helps hospitals and medical facilities reduce costs. Mary Spio, CEO of Next Galaxy, says that patient education and medical professional training and proficiency are a huge part of health care costs. Because health care knowledge doubles every six to eight years, there’s a constant need for new proficiency training.

For example, the 65,000 elderly care facilities in America currently spend on average $3,000 per employee to learn tracheal insertion. It’s a specialized procedure that before VR could only be practiced on a live person. With the high turnover in the elder care industry, this particular training can cost tens of thousands of dollars per facility annually.

But Next Galaxy is developing its VR software to work across any iOS or Android mobile device, so the cost of entry will be very low. Tracheal insertion training in VR, which also eliminates the need to travel to specialized training centers, costs just $40 per employee.

And there are other benefits to VR training besides cost savings. Next Galaxy VR software uses Leap Motion force feedback technology so that health care professionals can feel when they’re doing the procedure wrong. Practicing on real patients carries the risk of major consequences such as the perforation of organs, and potential malpractice and other lawsuits.

Next Galaxy is working with multiple hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, assisted care facilities, and medical schools on multiple VR educational projects. Spio says current methods like videos and diagrams leave a lot to the imagination, while VR can bring realistic 3D digital representations of organs to life. Spio believes VR can eventually help everyone from surgeons and radiologists to incoming medical students.

Spio says the CPR and Heimlich VR software are also available on iTunes and Google Play in Q4 for $4.99 each, so that anyone can learn these life-saving techniques through VR.

Kini believes over time VR will permeate the consumer experience and become the standard for everything from communicating care, obtaining consent, and explaining procedures to patients.