Open Access
Yearb Med Inform 2003; 12(01): 159-169
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1638164
Review Paper
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart

Medical Applications of Virtual Environments

G. Riva
1   Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab. Istituto Auxologico Italiano Milan, Italy
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Address of the author:

Prof. Giuseppe Riva, Ph.D.
Dipartimento di Psicologia
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Largo Gemelli 1
20123 Milan, Italy
Phone: +39-02-58216892   
Fax: +39-02-70034918   

Publication History

Publication Date:
05 March 2018 (online)

 

Abstract:

Technologies that were hardly used ten years ago, such as the Internet, e-mail, and video teleconferencing are becoming familiar methods for diagnosis, therapy, education and training. However, the possible impact of virtual reality (VR) on health care is even higher than the one offered by the new communication technologies. In fact, VR is a technology, a communication interface and an experience: a communication interface based on interactive 3D visualization, able to collect and integrate in single real-like experience different inputs and data sets.

The first health care applications of VR started in the early ‘90s with the need for medical staff to visualize complex medical data, particularly during surgery and for surgery planning. A couple of years later, the scope of VR applications in medicine has broadened to include neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation.

This paper intends to investigate the role of VR in medicine, presenting some of the most interesting applications actually developed in the area. Moreover, it discusses the clinical principles, technological devices and safety issues associated with the use of virtual reality in medicine.


 



Address of the author:

Prof. Giuseppe Riva, Ph.D.
Dipartimento di Psicologia
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Largo Gemelli 1
20123 Milan, Italy
Phone: +39-02-58216892   
Fax: +39-02-70034918