VR (virtual reality) is a technology based on computers that simulates three-dimensional (3D) environments, allowing users to experience virtual worlds and interact with them on various devices. Virtual reality is viewed on mobile device screens and virtual reality rooms that are head-mounted displays, or in VR goggles. VR allows users to interact with 3D models of bodies and spaces in a first-person mode. These models are called avatars.

In 1968, Ivan Sutherland created a viable head-mounted display at Harvard University (figure 1-17). The system consisted of miniature cathode ray tubes that gave stereoscopic images to each eye, as well as ultrasonic and mechanical trackers to allow user movement within a digital world. The VR technology platform was developed because of the advances in computer graphics and computer processing. Oxford Medical Systems (the predecessor to Vicon Motion Systems) develops the first commercial Motion Capture (MoCap), system in 1984. Silicon Graphics, Inc. developed the VLSI Graphics Engine, which is a high-speed computing device used by numerous VR facilities.

VR has been proven to increase knowledge and abilities in health professions education when compared with less interactive digital learning strategies, but it is not clear if these benefits translate into outcomes for patients. VR has been proven to decrease both the health care provider as well as the patient’s stress. Nijland et al. found that ICU nurses who used VR relaxation during breaks reported significantly lower levels of stress compared to those who did not employ VR. However, it is important to understand that the duration of the VR application can lead to overstimulation and cybersickness in some patients.

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