Hologram patients help to train doctors

The technology can be used remotely, making it easier to reach more students

Spotted: Medical students at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge no longer need to rely on actors for some of their training. Using holograms and mixed reality accessed via headsets, students and doctors interact in real-time to adjust treatments and assess severity of illness for a range of digital patients.

Called HoloScenarios, the programme was developed by the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust using technology developed by GigXR. Students move about the space treating patients for common respiratory ailments, including pneumonia, anaphylaxis, and pulmonary embolism. Instructors amend the scenario as much or as little as they would like, and the immediacy of the training allows each action and treatment to be immediately observed, something that working with actors doesn’t allow.

Next, neurological and cardiac conditions will be added to the training, and access to the material will be expanded. Capable of being used remotely, the technology allows instructors to work with students anywhere in the world, providing an incredible opportunity to expand the medical knowledge of teams working with underserved communities.

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence are already having an impact in healthcare. Springwise has previously spotted an AI imaging analysis programme that helps prioritise care by reviewing diagnostic images, and a VR brain training app that tests cognitive functions.