INDIANAPOLIS Virtual reality technology is helping improve patient outcomes at IU Health.<\/p>\n
Every other Monday, Steve Unversaw finds himself here at the Simon Cancer Center.<\/p>\n
I have Pompe disease, said Unversaw. Seventeen people in the state of Indiana have been diagnosed. Nationwide, theres only 700 people in the US that suffer from what Ive got.<\/p>\n
His treatments consist of four-hour-long dialysis, which Unversaw describes as painful, boring and even unsettling.<\/p>\n
Walking into the building of a medical environment, especially one with the word cancer written on the side of it, you go Whoa, said Unversaw. It makes you realizes youre in a tough spot and you start thinking about it.<\/p>\n
But virtual reality is changing that.<\/p>\n
By distracting them with VR, we have found in our initial trial that we were able to decrease their anxiety by 50% in the patients we did this with, said Brian Overshiner, a manager with IU Healths 3d Innovation Lab.<\/p>\n
What were doing is taking a toy and turning it into a tool, said Overshiner.<\/p>\n
Its a tool thats helping more than just patients.<\/p>\n
During the height of COVID, we had a lot of stressed-out frontline workers, said Overshiner.<\/p>\n
IU Health set up tranquility rooms for frontline workers, which included snacks, soothing music and virtual reality.<\/p>\n
We can transport that person to the beach and they can sit and unwind. Who doesnt want that? Overshiner asked.<\/p>\n
IU Health plans to expand the program and continue researching ways VR could affect patient outcomes.<\/p>\n
We were surprised it had such an impact so now were looking at longer term, how to offer VR as a standard of care for these patients, Overshiner said.<\/p>\n
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Taking a toy and turning it into a tool: Virtual reality improving patient outcomes at IU Health - Fox 59<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" INDIANAPOLIS Virtual reality technology is helping improve patient outcomes at IU Health. Continue reading