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VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES HOSPITAL COMMUNICATIONS

As health care facilities across the country struggle to communicate in regard to ICU availability, medical inventory and testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at Full Sail University and AdventHealth University (AHU) have teamed up to offer an award-winning solution.

The two Corridor institutions are a versatile duo and have collaborated for nearly two years on several projects. The team at Full Sail specializes in technology and gaming, while the AHU team specializes in medicine and health sciences. Together, they marry their skillsets and expertise to create positive change.

During a panel session at Synapse 2021, Full Sail and AHU experts discussed their new, virtual reality (VR) prototype, which serves as a proof of concept for a virtual command center to aide health care facilities and systems. Using a VR headset, this solution allows medical experts to physically see and interact with key resources and data, and make life-saving decisions in real time.

Once the VR headset is on, medical professionals have access to a virtual reality that suits them and their team’s needs. With Full Sail and AHU’s virtual reality prototype, medical information lives in one place, rather than scattered around facilities on laptops and charts.

But that’s not all. While wearing this VR headset, medical professionals can also exchange information with other facilities that are part of the virtual reality network, opening up a quicker and more efficient communication channel.

The team’s virtual prototype is unprecedented, and it’s a step away from the traditional brick-and-mortar establishments health care workers are used to working in. It’s a contemporary way of tracking and tracing data, and allows hospitals to go online, allocate resources and share data without ever having to leave their desired space.

While originally intended for medical use, the real-world applications are endless for this type of technology. These VR headsets could also be utilized during hurricanes or other natural disasters, where traditional communication channels may be offline and access to in-person meetings isn’t accessible.

This technology doesn’t just sound impressive; it is impressive.

The team of experts recently submitted the prototype in a competition at Iron Dev, an annual competition held by the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference and was named the winner for “Most Innovative Solution.”