XR for Caregivers: Training the Empathy Muscle with Perspective-Taking Simulations

Of all human conditions, medical issues are the most perplexing. Even the best qualified and trained professional can only imagine what a patient’s experience is really like, and that can be a problem when trying to comprehend the best way to treat it. Sure, having daily experience of what a certain pain is like from the perspective of a patient can help the doctor or caregiver target it effectively, but when it comes to more personal experiences like dementia or sensory problems, it is more difficult to deal with from an empathetic point of view.

A doctor can use their experience to help, but there is now a possibility to understand more about what it actually is like to have certain conditions via the power of XR. This means that professionals can appreciate the mental and physical anguish of conditions such as dementia and autism from the point of view of the sufferer, and understanding leads directly to greater care packages.

Learning on the Job

One of the most important drivers inside the NHS is to give value for money. The health economics cited in many academic papers underline XR’s potential to help healthcare services produce highly effective outcomes at a lower cost. It has been shown that XR can help patients confront surgery and therapies that they might otherwise avoid, perhaps saving £2 million every year. 

Delivering therapy remotely via XR can be up to three-times cheaper than traditional rehabilitation, shorten wait times, increase involvement, and lessen the probability of symptoms worsening. Finally, XR can minimise training expenditures while increasing overall surgical performance by up to 230% compared to typical training approaches. This proof is a key necessity for the health system, and it is doubtful that any XR solution will be embraced into clinical practice or attract the investment required to grow without proven data to back up its success.  

But aside from the obvious training aspects of XR, there is a growing interest in how it can help doctors and other healthcare professionals actually put themselves in the patient’s place, and experience first-hand the issues and difficulties that particular sufferers may have every day.

Understanding is Key

An increasing number of XR devices now include very sophisticated sensors capable of recording physiological data from a user. This data can be provided to a doctor for monitoring or straight back to the user in real time to offer information regarding difficult-to-observe functions like breath or brain activity, with the goal of enhancing the user’s conscious control over these functions. Biofeedback is becoming increasingly important in the development of complementary treatments and cures.

These advanced biometric sensing and communication technologies allow for the collection of vital information that may be used to advise on, diagnose, and to devise treatments for a variety of psychological and physical issues. These technologies can also assist in confirming certain procedures, allowing for more tailored and precise therapies for patients. 

For example, patients who are suffering from Upper Limb Motor Impairment (ULMI), it is frequently necessary for them to participate in recurrent remedial physiotherapy sessions in order to reduce the functional limitations seen in the afflicted area. There is a correlation between increased intensity and frequency of upper-limb rehabilitation and better quality of life, motor function, and the capacity to execute daily tasks. Many health authorities are now prioritising XR treatments because they have been proven to give an extremely high standard of effectiveness. Additionally, this type of rehabilitation is financially beneficial because the care-giver doesn’t actually need to physically attend the session.

It has been determined that a decrease in the function of the upper limbs is a significant predictor of a decrease in psychological wellness following a stroke. As a result, the development of novel therapies based on XR and the exploration of successful treatments for arm rehabilitation have been designated as a priority for investigations into stroke. This is now a proven therapeutic route that is benefitting thousands of patients and helping care providers 

Real-life Simulations

But the effectiveness of XR in medical applications is only as good as the simulated environments it depicts, and that becomes the key to their success. This means that simulations need to be as close to reality as possible, to give the best possible experience, and since software like Unity is perfect for creating these environments, that becomes a function of the hardware involved.

Headsets are evolving all the time, and relatively cheap micro-electronics ensures that the next generation of headsets will deliver high-end graphics in an ultra-light package and one that will be a reasonable cost. Hopefully, developers will have learned from Apple’s expensive mistake, and will factor in purchase cost as a major element in new products, making them priced-to-own. If that becomes the market mantra, then XR will become much more commonplace in essential areas such as medical applications.

And that brings us back to the value of using XR to help medical staff understand the nature of a patient’s conditions and experience first-hand the impacts that they may have on the patient’s life. Care-giving charities are now working hard to develop XR experiences that put the professional – or anyone else, for that matter – in the shoes of the patient, and the results are astounding. Digital design agency Galactig have worked with caregivers to develop an App that simulates the effects of dementia and helps raise awareness of the patient’s plight. Meanwhile, the autism simulator is winning awards with its emotional depiction of just what it means to have autism.  

The hardware is now sufficiently good to allow for accurate simulations and is just a matter of developing effective Apps. If you have an idea for an App of this nature, why not contact us at Unity Developers and see how our professional team can make your idea a reality, and benefit those with difficult-to-relate-to issues.