Challenges

The greatest challenges facing the industry are related to awareness, workflow integration, payment. Whenever we speak with physicians, they unaware of the numerous benefits of VR therapy randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews that have been published. This gap in knowledge is why there are conferences like Virtual Medicine which cover the evidence supporting the use of immersive technology within healthcare.

If immersive therapeutics is going to be implemented into the clinical workflow it will need to be integrated into the Eletronic medical records system. Over the next several years study will need to be conducted that show clinical benefit to the wealth of data that can be extracted from the HMD.

Currently there is no specific billing code for immersive therapeutics. There are a few insurance companies looking into the technology, our largest current clinical trial is being supported by Travelers Insurance. Dr. Brennan Spiegel also published an economic analysis on a virtualist pain service within the hospital demonstrating a savings. Though I cannot predict when this challenge will be solved it will be critical for mainstream use within healthcare.

Developments

There are numerous new developments within immersive therapeutics. The results of several pilot studies using full body immersion with a virtual avatar have led to fascinating results in areas such as chronic pain, eating disorders, racial bias reduction, and several more. Currently you can experience this at select location but that will change with time.

The combination of immersive technology with other innovations will lead to at least an order of magnitude increase in the reach of the healthcare system. Our colleague, Dr. Skip Rizzo at USC’s Institute of Creative Technology has developed virtual humans using AI and avatars.

Another important future goal is personalized VR therapy. Each patient has with a unique biopsychosocial profile. Patients may stay immersed longer or reach the desired outcome sooner if the virtual intervention is tailored to them. Currently companies are garnering this information with questionnaires, but a few researchers have incorporated emotional intelligence to change the virtual environment.

Immersive technology is one of the most powerful tool for the mind that runs on silicone. I have no doubt spatial computing will have a profound effect on society and that immersive therapeutics will someday be a pillar of mainstream therapy like pharmaceuticals. It’s been an honor to treat patients with pixels and witness the rise of immersive technology within healthcare.