JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The concept of immersive reality (IR), an umbrella term that encompasses virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, has been established within the healthcare realm as a potentially valuable tool with numerous applications in both medical education and patient care.

Objective:

The objective of this review is to introduce anesthesiologists to the emerging and rapidly evolving literature on immersive reality, its use in anesthesia education and its transferability into the clinical context.

Methods:

A review of the relevant literature was conducted using the PubMed database from inception to July 5 2023. Additional references were identified from the reference lists of selected papers.

Results:

Fifty one papers related to the use of IR in anesthesia medical education (including both technical and non-technical skills) and 63 papers related to applications in clinical practice (eg, pre-procedure planning, patient education, pain management) were included. We present evidence supporting the use of IR in the training and clinical practice of the modern anesthesiologist.

Conclusions:

IR is useful for a variety of applications in anesthesia medical education, including potential advantages over existing simulation approaches. Similarly, IR has demonstrated potential improvements to patient care in several clinical contexts relevant to the practicing anesthesiologist. However, many applications remain in early stages of development and robust trials to confirm clinical/educational effectiveness and to assess mechanism, educational validity and cost-effectiveness are urgently needed.