This week I learned about Augmented Reality using an application called Metaverse. These are links to my experiences:
Using AR in Training
Augmented Reality could have a radical impact on healthcare training. My first thought when I read this reflection question about using AR in training was for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) such as pumps. Nurses use a pump to infuse intravenous fluids and medications at the rate the provider ordered. Incorrect programming of the pump could have serious safety consequences for a patient. Pumps have gotten smarter over time. They now have medication profiles and other guardrails to prevent safety mishaps. With this complexity has come training challenges and using AR to overlay steps to operate the pump brings the training to the bedside where it is needed.
Once I started doing some research, I found more exciting possibilities for AR, including overlaying radiological studies (MRI, CT, x-ray) over a patient prior to surgery to provide landmarks of the patient’s internal anatomy for the surgeon (Augmented Reality in Healthcare). Another possibility uses AR to train nurses to respond to a medical emergency or trauma. Simulation mannequins can cost as much as $100,000, so AR could increase access to a simulated situation at a much lower cost (Producing Better Nurses with Augmented Reality). Another promising use of AR involves using lasers as an overlay on a patient’s skin to map subcutaneous blood vessels, allowing the nurse to find a vein to start an IV (Six Ways Augmented Reality is Transforming the Future of Healthcare). I haven’t been an emergency nurse for 21 years, but I still have dreams about having to start an IV on someone or that I’m being called into the Trauma Room. Nursing is a stressful job and more access to quality training really does have an impact on patient outcomes.
I got an email at work today about using AR in Lectora (the eLearning software I use). I signed up for the online discussion so perhaps I will learn some more ways to use AR with the tools I have.
Ease of Use
I found Metaverse to be easy to learn and use. There was some instability when I published it on my phone. The experience disappeared easily and was distorted when I used the AR background, but was visible with the standard background. The text in the text bubble often sheared in half so it was unreadable. I don’t know if it was my phone that was the issue but using this with various devices could be problematic. Building the experiences was a true joy. I liked the smaller scale of it and the ease of moving pieces of it around.
Some of my coworkers could easily use this software to create engaging experiences. Others would struggle without support. When I teach my coworkers how to use eLearning software, branching is one of the hardest concepts for them to master, so building more complex experiences could be challenging. But it would be easy for them to use experiences that were built for them.
Next Tutorial
Next, I would view the Metaverse tutorial Add A GPS Location. I would use this functionality to build a scavenger hunt for new orientees to the hospital. Our hospital has multiple locations and even on the main campus there are buildings spread out over several miles that are accessed by a shuttle system. A scavenger hunt would be a fun way to learn how to get around. A GPS location experience could also be used for general wayfinding when someone is new.