Virtual reality app makes medical training available to all

A new virtual reality app from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) makes medical training available to the general public.

The training app was designed to provide medical students and surgical trainees with an alternative method of learning.

However, it is also the first of its kind to be made available to the public.

The app contains an interactive alternative mode for the non-medical user, which includes guides and explanations for each step.

The app, which was officially launched this week, allows users to simulate the emergency room management of a patient following a road traffic accident, using a Samsung phone and a headset.

It puts users in the shoes of the A&E trauma team leader, where they must assess the patient, make life-or-death decisions in real time and perform life-saving operations.

The RCSI currently owns 15 high-end surgical simulators, on which students can practise procedures such as keyhole gallbladder surgery and endoscopies.

Each simulator can cost up to €100,000.

A spokesperson for RCSI said the college spent €1 million in 2014 on upgrading these machines.

Training

The app aims to make medical training more accessible and affordable, when access to these high-end simulators is not possible.

RCSI say they are considering using the app as part of training programmes in places with limited resources, such as sub-Saharan Africa.

Donncha Ryan, learning technology manager at RCSI, described the experience offered by the app as far more valuable than an equivalent lesson in a traditional classroom.

“Virtual reality is the most radical technological change we’ve seen since the mobile phone and the opportunities it poses for education are vast.”

However, he said the app would enhance, rather than replace, classroom training.

The app has had more than 65,000 downloads since it previewed on the Samsung Gear VR app in May.

It comes as part of RCSI’s Medical Training Sim project, which aims to combine a series of hospital learning experiences in a virtual hub.