一些醫(yī)院正在利用虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)對醫(yī)護人員進行操作流程培訓(xùn)。這種培訓(xùn)方式不僅有利于受訓(xùn)者充分理解培訓(xùn)內(nèi)容，還能幫助醫(yī)療機構(gòu)大幅降低培訓(xùn)成本。

移動虛擬現(xiàn)實設(shè)備如Google Cardboard、Gear VR和VR One正在改變醫(yī)院和醫(yī)療服務(wù)提供商培訓(xùn)醫(yī)生、護士和醫(yī)務(wù)人員的方式。

增強現(xiàn)實和虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)公司Next Galaxy Corp已經(jīng)與邁阿密兒童醫(yī)院展開合作，針對心肺復(fù)蘇術(shù)、鼻胃管插入、導(dǎo)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(fā)虛擬現(xiàn)實醫(yī)療教學(xué)軟件。

盡管虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)還處在初級階段，但它的用途已經(jīng)開始顯現(xiàn)。邁阿密兒童醫(yī)院首席執(zhí)行官納倫德拉?基尼博士聲稱，在接受虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)培訓(xùn)一年之后，受訓(xùn)者的記憶留存水平高達(dá)80%，而傳統(tǒng)培訓(xùn)的這項數(shù)據(jù)僅為20%。基尼表示，人們實際上是在創(chuàng)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(xiàn)實技術(shù)，人們能高度理解培訓(xùn)內(nèi)容，因為人類主要是視覺動物，而虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)就是一種視覺傳達(dá)模式。我們相信，反復(fù)的訓(xùn)練并維持技能的熟練度，在許多場合下能夠?qū)︶t(yī)療效果產(chǎn)生重大影響。很多情況下沒有足夠的病人來讓醫(yī)護人員熟練這些技能，虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)就可以作為補充。也想象一下我們需要通過練習(xí)獲得認(rèn)證的場景。在這種情況下，虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)簡直就是天賜之物?！?/p>

虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)培訓(xùn)還能幫助醫(yī)院和醫(yī)療機構(gòu)降低成本。Next Galaxy公司首席執(zhí)行官瑪麗?斯皮奧表示，病患教育和醫(yī)護人員的職業(yè)培訓(xùn)占據(jù)了醫(yī)療保健費用中很大的一部分。醫(yī)療保健的知識每過6到8年就會翻一番，所以新技能培訓(xùn)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(xùn)氣管插管。這項操作十分復(fù)雜，在虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)出現(xiàn)之前，只能在活人身上練習(xí)。由于老年看護行業(yè)的離職率非常高，每家機構(gòu)每年為這項特殊培訓(xùn)花費的成本可能高達(dá)幾萬美元。

不過Next Galaxy正在開發(fā)一項橫跨任何iOS和Android移動設(shè)備的虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)軟件，其使用成本非常低廉。使用虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)培訓(xùn)氣管插管，也免去了前往特定培訓(xùn)中心的需要，每人的培訓(xùn)成本僅僅40美元。

除了節(jié)省成本之外，虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)培訓(xùn)還有其他優(yōu)點。Next Galaxy的虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)軟件使用了Leap Motion力反饋技術(shù)，如此一來，醫(yī)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(fēng)險，如器官穿孔、可能的治療失當(dāng)或是引發(fā)其他法律訴訟。

Next Galaxy正在與許多醫(yī)院、診所、護養(yǎng)院、輔助醫(yī)療機構(gòu)和醫(yī)學(xué)院，就多項虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)教育項目進行合作。斯皮奧表示，目前的視頻和圖表等培訓(xùn)方式，留下了許多需要人們?nèi)ハ胂蟮目臻g，而虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)可以用逼真的3D數(shù)碼成像栩栩如生地展現(xiàn)出器官。

斯皮奧表示，有關(guān)心肺復(fù)蘇術(shù)和海姆立克式操作法的虛擬現(xiàn)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(xiàn)實技術(shù)學(xué)習(xí)這些救生技巧。

基尼相信，隨著時間的推移，虛擬現(xiàn)實技術(shù)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(yī)療環(huán)節(jié)的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。（財富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：嚴(yán)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.