Dr Vassilia Orfanou, COO, LUDCI.eu
Writes for the Headline Diplomat eMagazine, LUDCI.eu
Introduction
Think of a world where medical professionals in training can peer inside the human bodies. No scalpels needed. They can practice surgery in virtual worlds, learn from mistakes, with no patients harmed. This isn’t science fiction. It’s the present and future of healthcare education. And it’s being shaped by a revolutionary technology called Augmented Reality (AR) even in Luxembourg.
The need is urgent. A growing global population and longer lifespans are creating a critical shortage of healthcare workers. There is a projected increase in chronic health conditions like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, by 99.5% in the coming decades.
Conventional teaching approaches, rooted in textbooks and lectures, struggle to match the dynamic needs of modern education. Autonomous products leveraging augmented reality (AR) are emerging as transformative solutions. AR offers interactive, immersive learning experiences, arming medical professionals with the skills needed for tomorrow’s healthcare landscape. Yet, the integration of AR into medical education faces sluggish adoption for several reasons.
This article discusses the current state of medical education in Luxembourg, highlighting the potential and benefits of augmented reality in shaping the future of learning in the field.
Why AR Works for Medical Learning
Augmented reality, as well as virtual reality, are transformative technologies used in medical education globally. The technology enhances learning by overlaying digital information onto the real world. Imagine a student viewing a human body through a tablet or AR glasses, seeing muscles and organs highlighted and labeled in 3D.
Unlike just memorizing from textbooks, AR brings medical students into the lab, emergency/operating room, or hospital wards in realistic simulations. It unlocks a new dimension of learning for medical students. Here are reasons why this technology should get more consolidated in medical learning in Luxembourg:
Useful and Inexpensive Surgical Simulation Tools
Simulation is one of the formal techniques through which students learn in a very practical way. VR tools are useful as surgical simulators. “In medical education, surgical simulation can be very useful to fill the gap between theoretical teaching and practice on actual patients,” says Romain Seil, Head of the Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Diseases Division at the Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg (CHL), who is working with Swiss company VirtaMed to develop a simulator for arthroscopic surgery.
These simulators are also an inexpensive tool for surgeons-in-practice who want to get trained without paying an arm for a simulating machine. “VR has revolutionized simulation by being more accessible, effective, and affordable,” says Justin Barad, CEO, and founder of Osso VR, a VR surgical training and assessment platform.
AR/VR an Effective Learning Tool
Neuroscientific studies show that human experiences and knowledge are spatially organized in the brain. A mental map helps us better classify what we see and the complex reality.
This is why clinical rotations and face-to-face teaching are so important in medical training. AR creates a realistic environment for practicing procedures, similar to clinical rotations.
Furthermore, a study by Accenture Consulting found that VR training for medical students resulted in a 70 percent improvement in engagement and better retention of the material learned. Two studies in which a VR software was examined also demonstrate the effect of virtual reality in medical training.
The intended training time fell by 29 percent using VR. Additionally, school training costs were reduced by $300,000 per year for operating room use and $1 million for mortuary wards. Its ability to work with multiple remote users in parallel simultaneously saves time, costs, and space.
Improved Patient Care
By enabling healthcare professionals to practice procedures in a virtual environment, AR enhances their skills and confidence, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
It’s also a great technique for practicing less-invasive, more precise surgical procedures, which are more comfortable and inexpensive for patients, with little hospital stay-time.
“Today, I use augmented reality when doing knee arthroplasty surgery. I can see that it allows me to do less invasive operations but with a higher degree of precision and personalisation,” says Romain Seil.
Movement Matters
AR enables action, not just observation. When you do something, the whole body is involved in a multisensory way. And the more the body is used, the greater the chance of learning and retaining something.
Unlike lectures, AR allows students to move naturally, aiding memory and skill development. Trainees can move much more naturally in augmented reality. This allows what has been learned to be internalized more sustainably than is possible by simply reading or watching. This is called autobiographical memory and is a very efficient process for encoding and retrieving knowledge.
Active Learning, Better Retention, Proper Understanding
Use of AR as support for traditional learning means real and closer human bodies in front of them. Then theories and medical practices are applied.
This immersive experience strengthens memory and skills, like traditional clinical rotations, but without the risks.
AR engages the whole body, promoting deeper understanding through autobiographical memory.
Safe and Cost-effective Surgical Training
AR allows students to practice complex surgeries in a virtual but 3D environment without risk to patients. This eliminates the need for expensive cadavers or operating room time, making the technology potentially cost-effective for Luxembourg’s medical schools.
Current AR/VR Innovations in Luxembourg
In Luxembourg, the integration of these applications in medical education can pave the way for advancements in visualizing complex anatomical structures. They can simulate surgical procedures and improve overall educational outcomes.
Luxembourg AR/VR Medical Education needs work
First, Luxembourg’s medical education sector is not yet at the forefront of tech integration compared to other developed nations. However, AR research from various medical institutions and private sector innovations are already starting to revolutionize medical education in the country.
Examples of companies and institutions making progress in this direction include:
AR Spectra with REA Solution
AR Spectra is a multinational medical technology (MedTech) company headquartered in Luxembourg that designs new augmented reality solutions specifically for the healthcare industry and medical students.
The company provides advanced AR headsets called the REA solution for education and remote assistance. These are novel solutions specifically made for training medical students whether at school or in medical environments.
This innovation enables medical students and professionals to visualize complex anatomical structures. They can simulate surgical procedures and engage in hands-on learning experiences that were previously challenging to replicate.
“Senior surgeons could support juniors at a distance, while they operated. And a senior surgeon or professor that could not teach their students around an operating table, was able to stream it to the learning audience,” said Cédric Spaas, the General Manager of AR Spectra on the importance of transforming healthcare with AR glasses.
This technology, which overlays digital information onto the real world, is being increasingly adopted in medical schools. It’s used to simplify the delivery of complex information and enhance the comprehension of medical Lexicology.
After all, augmented reality can be applied to almost all aspects of medical practice. “It includes everything from patient information and remote consultations to the use of digital technologies, such as augmented reality and robotics,” says Romain Seil, Head of the Neurosciences and Musculoskeletal Diseases Division at the Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg (CHL), Luxembourg’s first academic teaching hospital.
Spaas says, “no digital tool can replace listening to and observing the patients and doing clinical examinations.”
Anatomage tool from the University of Luxembourg
AR Spectra is not the only innovation in virtual reality from Luxembourg. The University of Luxembourg has equipped its new Bachelor of Medicine program with a cutting-edge virtual reality tool for learning anatomy: a 3D virtual dissection table called Anatomage.
Unlike traditional cadaver labs, the Anatomage table offers students a limitless exploration of the human body, unhindered by the physical constraints of real specimens.
Debuting in October 2019 on the Belval Campus, the Anatomage table allows students to virtually dissect 3D models. They can then go deeper into specific pathologies. This technology provides a cost-effective and innovative alternative to traditional anatomy labs. It eliminates the need for body management and legal considerations.
“The Anatomage Table is a perfect fit for our needs,” says Professor Gilbert Massard, Director of Medical Education. “It offers a highly sophisticated learning experience that seamlessly transitions students to the world of medical imaging. Instructors can create customized scenarios and exams, while students can conduct self-directed learning. This is a significant leap forward compared to the limitations of traditional anatomy labs.”
AR for Patient Education and Learning at the CHL
Over the last couple of years, the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) has invested in skills development and innovations based on digital technologies like augmented reality.
In its 2022 annual report, the hospital reported that it had been installing several systems at the CHL to enable the digitalization of the neurosurgical operating room. This, according to Dr Frank Hertel, Head of service at the DHL, “can be used, among other things, for surgery, but also for patient education and for learning purposes (teaching students, etc.).”
“Using this new navigation system, we can, for example, visualize representations of the fiber bundles of the brain, and integrate them into the planning of neurosurgical operations,” says, giving further details on the innovative development. “The system makes it possible to obtain, using both the microscope eyepiece and augmented reality glasses, a representation of the patient’s anatomical structures in 3 dimensions (3D). This allows the neurosurgeon to visualize the patient’s anatomical structures in real time during the operation.”
The hospital thus opens a vast field of possibilities in the training of medical students and employees. Augmented reality makes it possible to immerse learners in certain situations chosen for them by their instructors. It also allows access to educational exercises for skill development.
Comparing Luxembourg vs. European Leaders in AR Healthcare Education & Services
| Country | Strengths in AR Healthcare | Examples of Innovative Developments Research | Research Focus Areas |
| Germany | Strong healthcare system & robust tech industry | Charité & Heidelberg Universities leading in digital medical education research that involves AR and other digital technologies.
Companies like Augmedix (AR medical documentation), Scopis GmbH (surgical planning and navigation systems), AMBOSS GmbH Medical Realities (surgical planning) and medverse GmbH are developing AR applications and learning models across specialties. |
AR for various medical specialties including surgery, radiology, and patient care.
Integration of AR into medical curriculum |
| United Kingdom | Long history of medical research & development | Imperial College London & UCL leading AR research for medical applications. Imperial using Oculus Rift for VR and the Microsoft Hololens for AR. UCL deploying ARuVR and HTC VIVE in distance-learning of advanced minimally-invasive surgery
Companies like DemDx, Modelli, FundamentalVR, and Proximie developing specialized VR/AR tools for medical learning. |
AR applications for radiotherapy, surgical planning, and medical diagnostics.
Research on the integration of AR into medical training programs.
|
| Netherlands | Well-developed healthcare system & focus on innovation | Universities like Amsterdam UMC & Maastricht exploring AR for anatomy education and surgical training.
Companies like Philips developing AR solutions for radiology and patient education (e.g., Philips IntelliSpace XR Portal). |
AR for anatomy visualization and interactive learning experiences.
Development of AR applications for radiology image interpretation and patient education. |
| Luxembourg | Emerging AR healthcare sector with strong potential | Arspectra: AR navigation apps for medical procedures & REA solution (AR glasses) for education & remote assistance.
University of Luxembourg: Utilizing Anatomage virtual anatomy table for dissection training. |
Exploring AR for medical education, remote collaboration, and potentially surgical training.
Investigating the use of AR glasses for enhancing learning experiences. |
The table above shows how Luxembourg compares to the leading countries in AR innovation, medical learning, and research. While Luxembourg has existing and emerging developments with Arspectra, and the University of Luxembourg, among others, their research areas seem broader and less defined compared to the other countries. Germany, Sweden, UK, and Netherlands all have a clear focus on specific areas like surgical simulations, radiology, or integration into their curriculum.
On the depth of development, the examples from Luxembourg (Arspectra apps and Anatomage table) are still valuable. But they represent earlier stages of AR integration compared to the other countries. However, without a doubt, Luxembourg is indeed experiencing a rapid growth phase, catching up quickly.
Implementation challenges are hampering adoption
Luxembourg may already have considerable AR innovations and research in the medical education sector. However, some challenges are hampering increased adoption.
Digitalization Challenges
One of the prevailing challenges is access to AR and other technologies in hospitals and healthcare sectors in Luxembourg.
According to Philippe Turk, the president of the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL), “digitalization remains one of the major challenges in the hospital and healthcare sectors” in Luxembourg.
“Luxembourg is a small market for the big European names in medical digital and we have to be aware of that,” Turk says in an interview with Marc Auxenfants of Silicon Luxembourg.
Funding Problem
AR technology and infrastructure, like in any MedTech project, can be expensive, from the initial investment in hardware, software, to ongoing maintenance costs.
But Claus Schaffrath, founder of MD-Squared, explains that making Luxembourg a MedTech hub is not implausible and that startups can still make a major difference in the market.
“I don’t think it’s implausible if you stimulate the right environment and attract the right people. Money always helps and I think Luxinnovation seems to be committed to making it easier for startups to get appropriate funding.
Training and Support
Proper training and support are also essential to maximize the benefits of AR technology and ensure its effective integration into medical education curricula.
“We must think together about the training and structures to put in place, in order to change the situation, make jobs attractive, retain people, attract talent,” Philippe Turk says in a discussion on how to scale challenges facing MedTech innovation in Luxembourg.
Data Security, Privacy, and Integration
Medical data is highly sensitive, and robust security protocols need to be established for AR applications to ensure patient privacy.
Finally, integrating AR into existing medical education programs requires careful planning and collaboration. These can help align with learning objectives and accreditation standards.
Augmented Reality in Medicine in Luxembourg is key
Integrating Augmented Reality in medical education in Luxembourg is a big step towards enhancing learning outcomes, improving patient care, and fostering research innovation.
The exploration of AR’s potential in Luxembourg’s medical education landscape shows a future brimming with possibilities. AR allows for interactive simulations that improve knowledge retention, practical skills development, and social skills among medical students. It also facilitates innovative research opportunities by providing new ways to study complex medical concepts and explore cutting-edge techniques.
Luxembourg may still be behind countries like Germany, UK, and the Netherlands in terms of established AR healthcare solutions and research focus. However, there are emerging developments and focus on education and research that suggest the country’s strong potential to catch up quickly in the future.
Luxembourg’s unleashed potential in AR medicine
Luxembourg has the potential to become a leader in AR-powered medical education. However, to fully unlock this potential, further collaboration between universities, hospitals, and tech companies is necessary to develop specialized AR applications for various medical specialties.
More ways to seamlessly integrate AR into the medical school curriculum needs to be explored. This will ensure future healthcare professionals graduate with a strong foundation in this transformative technology.
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