The Current Trends of Virtual Reality Applications in Medical Education

Abstract

The study of human computer interaction in using immersive technologies has become very essential and critical. Immersive technologies have been used significantly in medical education. In the medical field, real-life training is not always possible. The main reasons are cost and safety. Thus, alternatives in providing and achieving a better educational medical training platform are needed. There is a growing interest in using virtual reality (VR) for training and learning in the medical field. The use of virtual reality in educational training may facilitate a successful medical learning process without involving a real human. The technology allows learners to adapt different learning styles in ways that are not suited to traditional teaching. This study aims to investigate efforts and opportunities for using VR technologies for medical training purposes. This paper identifies and summarizes VR tools used for surgical training especially in laparoscopic surgery, arthroscopy and orthopedic surgery. We also present the advantages of medical training using VR.