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Implementing Virtual Reality in New Zealand’s Healthcare Sector

With the most extensive vaccination programme in history currently being undertaken across the world, New Zealand is also aggressively pursuing its rollout. The country expects to immunize tens of millions of people by the spring at over 2,700 vaccination sites across the nation.

While many individuals are eager to get their vaccinations and prevent the deadly COVID-19 virus from spreading further, trypanophobia, or a fear of needles, is believed to be causing problems for a significant number of people across the country. Researchers from the University of Otago have collaborated with a tech firm to develop new software that uses virtual reality (VR) to distract patients who are frightened of needles so they can receive the injections they needed.

The programme had been tested out by patients in Christchurch when receiving influenza shots while wearing the VR headset. A patient claims that he could “barely tell” when the injection was taking place and that he would recommend the app to anyone who is afraid of needles. People with phobias or anxiety over things like flying, heights, spiders, and social situations could also benefit from it.

The new distraction software employs virtual reality technology to engage patients in a virtual environment that will keep them entertained while they are being injected. Patients have complete control over the relaxing environment they will be placed in. The options are all scenic spots, including beaches, mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. During these simulations, patients can train their brains to overcome their fear of needles via a combination of experiential learning exercises, breathing techniques, and stress management strategies.

According to a health website, trypanophobia is the extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles. It was recognised as a specific phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1994. Trypanophobia tends to be more common in children and may lessen as people grow older and have more experience of medical procedures.

By introducing virtual reality (VR) into medical care, patients as young as four years old who are experiencing this problem may be able to forget about their fears, enabling medical staff to administer the necessary shot without difficulties. Psychologists are now using virtual reality to treat phobias that were previously difficult to treat with exposure therapy.

Research shows that humans have a limited capacity for attention. As a result, when children divert their attention to a different stimulus, such as a virtual reality game, the painful stimulus may appear to be less severe. Augmented reality (AR), a technology innovation used in hospitals in recent years, had also been clinically proven effective for pain management during burn dressing changes.

Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality’s most well-known “relative,” produces a 3D world that totally separates the viewer from reality. There are two respects in which AR is unique: users do not lose touch with reality and it puts information into eyesight as fast as possible. These distinctive features enable AR to become a driving force in the future of medicine.

Assuming that COVID-19 vaccinations might become a regular part of our society in the future, a VR treatment platform would be a useful tool for assisting patients in coping with the reality of having to receive injections. The idea finds support as the company had received inquiries from health clinics all around the world that were looking for an app they could offer to their patients to keep them distracted while receiving the injection.

New Zealand has been avidly deploying tech in the healthcare sector. OpenGov Asia reported on the access New Zealand’s smaller allied health firms have to a new reporting solution that can assist staff with managing their business at a fraction of the cost of those commonly seen in larger enterprises. The software is designed to provide daily revenue updates, as well as appointments, productivity, and retention within practices using a cloud-based practice management system.

PARTNER

Qlik’s vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private company, Qlik offers real-time data integration and analytics solutions, powered by Qlik Cloud, to close the gaps between data, insights and action. By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships. Qlik serves more than 38,000 active customers in over 100 countries.

PARTNER

CTC Global Singapore, a premier end-to-end IT solutions provider, is a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU Techno-Solutions Corporation (CTC) and ITOCHU Corporation.

Since 1972, CTC has established itself as one of the country’s top IT solutions providers. With 50 years of experience, headed by an experienced management team and staffed by over 200 qualified IT professionals, we support organizations with integrated IT solutions expertise in Autonomous IT, Cyber Security, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Cloud Infrastructure, Workplace Modernization and Professional Services.

Well-known for our strengths in system integration and consultation, CTC Global proves to be the preferred IT outsourcing destination for organizations all over Singapore today.

PARTNER

Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview’s full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions creates an organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empowers teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enables customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,300 employees supporting 4,500 customers and 2.6 million users worldwide. For more information, visit www.planview.com.

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

SIRIM is a premier industrial research and technology organisation in Malaysia, wholly-owned by the Minister​ of Finance Incorporated. With over forty years of experience and expertise, SIRIM is mandated as the machinery for research and technology development, and the national champion of quality. SIRIM has always played a major role in the development of the country’s private sector. By tapping into our expertise and knowledge base, we focus on developing new technologies and improvements in the manufacturing, technology and services sectors. We nurture Small Medium Enterprises (SME) growth with solutions for technology penetration and upgrading, making it an ideal technology partner for SMEs.

PARTNER

HashiCorp provides infrastructure automation software for multi-cloud environments, enabling enterprises to unlock a common cloud operating model to provision, secure, connect, and run any application on any infrastructure. HashiCorp tools allow organizations to deliver applications faster by helping enterprises transition from manual processes and ITIL practices to self-service automation and DevOps practices. 

PARTNER

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM’s legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

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