Pocket Guide to Planning Virtual Reality (VR) Lab Studios for Medical Schools

AUSTIN, Texas - July 1, 2021 - PRLog -- In their recent forecast of emerging market trends in 2021, the consulting giant Deloitte predicted that the fastest-growing market for digital reality products and services will be the enterprise and education markets, driven by the rapid adoption of virtual training applications.

In keeping with this trend, many virtual reality (VR) developers are targeting medical schools, where they are finding a welcome reception for new virtual reality-based training products.

We'll take a look at what facility planners, architects, and designers need to know about this fast-growing market, as well as provide tips on how to accommodate VR lab studios when planning new construction projects or major renovations at medical schools.

Key Benefits Of Using VR-Based Training Applications In Medical Education

Why the rapid uptake of VR-based training by medical schools?

The answer likely lies in the storied history of simulation training at many leading med schools, which pioneered the use of Simulation-Based Medical Education (SBME) tools and personnel.

Dedicated SBME centers in med schools have been at the leading edge of created realistic simulated environments long before virtual reality appeared on the scene.

For example, SMBE innovators pioneered the use of realistic human mannequins with functioning prosthetic body parts that allow students to practice examination procedures, life-saving emergency room procedures, and even simulated surgical operations.

SMBEs have also long relied on the employment of human "simulated patient" actors who help train young medical students on how to conduct one-on-one patient encounters – well before they ever meet their first live patient.

It's in this spirit of innovation that leading-edge VR applications have found a welcoming audience among SMBE professionals, who can appreciate many of the benefits that well-designed VR-based simulation tools can offer in medical school training, including:

1. Creating A Safe, Simulated Environment For Students To Learn New Skills And Techniques – And Even Make Mistakes – Without The Consequences Of Interacting With A Live Patient.

2. Improving Patient Outcomes By Allowing Students To Gain Experience And Build Expertise Through Targeted Training Applications; For Example, Learning New Surgical Techniques.

3. Providing Educators With A Way To Perform Direct Formative And Summative Skill Assessments Of A Learner's Progress, Which Can Be Difficult When Relying On Written Tests Or Other Traditional Assessment Methods.

4. Reducing Costs In Many Cases, For Example, By Allowing Students To Practice At Their Own Pace Without Driving Up The Labor Costs Of Instructors Or Staff.

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