Trends in virtual reality technologies for the learning patient

NextMed convened the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 22 (MMVR 22) conference in 2016. Since 1992, the conference has brought together a diverse group of researchers to share creative solutions for the evolving challenge of integrating virtual reality tools into medical education. Virtual reality (VR) and its enabling technologies utilize hardware and software to simulate environments and encounters where users can interact and learn. The MMVR 22 symposium proceedings contain projects that support a variety of learners: medical students, practitioners, soldiers, and patients. This report will contemplate the trends in virtual reality technologies for patients navigating their medical and healthcare learning. The learning patient seeks more than intervention; they seek prevention. From virtual humans and environments to motion sensors and haptic devices, patients are surrounded by increasingly rich and transformative data-driven tools. Applied data enables VR applications to simulate experience, predict health outcomes, and motivate new behavior. The MMVR 22 presents investigations into the usability of wearable devices, the efficacy of avatar inclusion, and the viability of multi-player gaming. With increasing need for individualized and scalable programming, only committed open source efforts will align instructional designers, technology integrators, trainers, and clinicians. Curriculum and InstructionCurriculum and Instructio

Designing Persuasive Avatars in mHealth for Arabic Culture: A Qualitative Study

Open innovation is built on the core principles of interactions, interdependence and exchange of knowledge. Clusters are believed to support organisations’ efforts to explore and source external knowledge, commercialise internal innovations and cause externalities through commercial activities. Early research on the innovation capabilities of regional clusters in Europe provides limited understandings of these cluster-based effects through which open innovation is fostered. This study investigates the role of clusters on open innovation practices relating to exploration and exploitation of external knowledge, knowledge sharing, acquisition and sale of IP rights of Indian IT organisations. The results reveal that organisations within a close geographic proximity actively participate in inbound and outbound activities and perform better in terms of innovation performance compared to the organisations outside the cluster. The findings are relevant to both the IT clusters and the IT innovation literature as this study sheds light on the role of clusters in improving an organisation’s innovation capabilities through open innovation

Exploring the Design of mHealth Systems for Health Behavior Change using Mobile Biosensors

A person’s health behavior plays a vital role in mitigating their risk of disease and promoting positive health outcomes. In recent years, mHealth systems have emerged to offer novel approaches for encouraging and supporting users in changing their health behavior. Mobile biosensors represent a promising technology in this regard; that is, sensors that collect physiological data (e.g., heart rate, respiration, skin conductance) that individuals wear, carry, or access during their normal daily activities. mHealth system designers have started to use the health information from physiological data to deliver behavior-change interventions. However, little research provides guidance about how one can design mHealth systems to use mobile biosensors for health behavior change. In order to address this research gap, we conducted an exploratory study. Following a hybrid approach that combines deductive and inductive reasoning, we integrated a body of fragmented literature and conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with mHealth stakeholders. From this study, we developed a theoretical framework and six general design guidelines that shed light on the theoretical pathways for how the mHealth interface can facilitate behavior change and provide practical design considerations

Peer Buddy or Expert? – On the Avatar Design of a Virtual Coach for Obesity Patients

Morbid obesity in association with comorbidities is a considerable burden for the healthcare systems worldwide. Long-term weight loss maintenance requires sustainable behavioral changes but poor adherence is a significant problem in obesity care today and patients often relapse. Prior research has found conversational agents with of a humanoid representation (avatar) embodying the role of a virtual coach useful for the interface of health behavior change support systems. Regarding the avatar design, the coach could, e.g., take the role of an obese “peer buddy” or a lean “expert”. Based on requirements and design principles derived from the literature, the present study investigates how the avatar should be designed. Therefore, two patient surveys were conducted to evaluate static and dynamic representations of potential coaches. The results suggest that patients welcome the concept and lean “expert” coaches might be more suitable in an obesity context. Design implications for future research are derived and discussed

Cardiovascular risk communication strategies in primary prevention. A systematic review with narrative synthesis

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of cardiovascular risk communication strategies to improve understanding and promote risk factor modification. Design: Systematic review with narrative synthesis. Data sources: A comprehensive database search for quantitative and qualitative studies was conducted in five databases, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied health Literature (CINAHL), Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), EMBASE, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA) and Web of Science. The searches were conducted between 1980 and July 2019. Review methods: The systematic review was conducted in accordance with Cochrane review methods. Data were extracted and a narrative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative results was undertaken. Results: The abstracts of 16,613 articles were assessed and 210 underwent in‐depth review, with 31 fulfilling the inclusion criteria. We observed significant heterogeneity across study designs and outcomes. Nine communication strategies were identified including numerical formats, graphical formats, qualitative information, infographics, avatars, game interactions, timeframes, genetic risk scores and cardiovascular imaging. Strategies that used cardiovascular imaging had the biggest impact on health behaviour change and risk factor modification. Improvements were seen in diet, exercise, smoking, risk scores, cholesterol and intentions to take preventive medication. Conclusion: A wide range of cardiovascular risk communication strategies has been evaluated, with those that employ personalized and visual evidence of current cardiovascular health status more likely to promote action to reduce risk. Impact: Future risk communication strategies should incorporate methods to provide individuals with evidence of their current cardiovascular health status

เทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละครในการสอนและการให้ความรู้แก่ผู้ป่วย: การทบทวนวรรณกรรมแบบบูรณาการอย่างเป็นระบบ Avatar-based Technology Interventions in Patient Education: A Systematic Integrative Review

บทคัดย่อ วัตถุประสงค์: เพื่อทบทวนวรรณกรรมและหลักฐานงานวิจัยเกี่ยวกับการใช้นวัตกรรมเทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละครในการสื่อสาร ส่งต่อข้อมูลและความรู้ทางสุขภาพให้กับผู้ป่วย วิธีการศึกษา: การทบทวนวรรณกรรมแบบบูรณาการอย่างเป็นระบบนี้คัดเลือกเฉพาะงานวิจัยเชิงทดลองแบบมีกลุ่มควบคุม โดยสืบค้นจากฐานข้อมูลอิเลคทรอนิกส์ ได้แก่ CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane  และ EMBASE  รวมทั้งมีการประเมินคุณภาพของระเบียบวิธีวิจัยของงานวิจัยที่คัดเลือก  ผลการศึกษา: มีงานวิจัยจำนวน 6 เรื่องที่ตรงตามเกณฑ์การคัดเข้า ผลการวิเคราะห์และสังเคราะห์พบว่าการใช้เทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละครในการเพิ่มความรู้ด้านสุขภาพที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการปรับเปลี่ยนพฤติกรรมสุขภาพของผู้ป่วย แต่พบว่ายังมีหลักฐานงานวิจัยที่ยังไม่ชัดเจนและเพียงพอที่จะประเมินประสิทธิผลของรูปแบบเทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละครต่อการรับรู้ความสามารถของตนเองของผู้ป่วย สรุป: การทบทวนวรรณกรรมนี้พบงานวิจัยเพื่อพิจารณาพัฒนารูปแบบการให้ความรู้แก่ผู้ป่วยโดยใช้เทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละคร และเทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละครเป็นเครื่องมือให้ความรู้แก่ผู้ป่วยในบริบททางสุขภาพต่าง ๆ ได้มากกว่าการให้ความรู้ในรูปแบบสื่อสิ่งพิมพ์ พบองค์ประกอบของการใช้รูปแบบเทคโนโลยีการจำลองตัวละครที่สามารถประยุกต์ใช้พัฒนารูปแบบการให้ความรู้ทางสุขภาพแก่ผู้ป่วยในการปฏิบัติการพยาบาลได้อย่างมีประสิทธิภาพต่อไป คำสำคัญ: การทบทวนวรรณกรรมแบบบูรณาการอย่างเป็นระบบ, เทคโนโลยีจำลองตัวละคร, การปฏิบัติการพยาบาลในคลินิก, การให้ความรู้แก่ผู้ป่วย  Abstract Objective: To review the evidence for the avatar-based technology as an innovative and emerging intervention for delivery of health education in clinical practice. Method: This review followed a systematic review methodology. Randomised controlled trials in English language were searched in CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and EMBASE. Articles were assessed for quality of methodology. Results: Six randomised controlled trials met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Avatar-based technology interventions improved health knowledge, and health-relate behaviour. There was insufficient evidence to suggest the effectiveness of Avatar-based interventions on, self-efficacy, and of the interventions among the participants were unclear. Conclusion: This review established a scientific basis for avatar-based technology as an effective intervention for the transfer of knowledge and skill development for patients. Avatar-based education tools have a clear advantage over paper-based education materials. This review provides nurses with the state of science in relation for the avatar-based technology interventions in patient education. A summary of intervention components are provided to assist nurses to develop and use the avatar-based interventions in clinical practice. Keywords: systematic integrative review, avatar-based technology,             nursing practice, patient educatio

A Human-Centric Metaverse Enabled by Brain-Computer Interface: A Survey

The growing interest in the Metaverse has generated momentum for members of academia and industry to innovate toward realizing the Metaverse world. The Metaverse is a unique, continuous, and shared virtual world where humans embody a digital form within an online platform. Through a digital avatar, Metaverse users should have a perceptual presence within the environment and can interact and control the virtual world around them. Thus, a human-centric design is a crucial element of the Metaverse. The human users are not only the central entity but also the source of multi-sensory data that can be used to enrich the Metaverse ecosystem. In this survey, we study the potential applications of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technologies that can enhance the experience of Metaverse users. By directly communicating with the human brain, the most complex organ in the human body, BCI technologies hold the potential for the most intuitive human-machine system operating at the speed of thought. BCI technologies can enable various innovative applications for the Metaverse through this neural pathway, such as user cognitive state monitoring, digital avatar control, virtual interactions, and imagined speech communications. This survey first outlines the fundamental background of the Metaverse and BCI technologies. We then discuss the current challenges of the Metaverse that can potentially be addressed by BCI, such as motion sickness when users experience virtual environments or the negative emotional states of users in immersive virtual applications. After that, we propose and discuss a new research direction called Human Digital Twin, in which digital twins can create an intelligent and interactable avatar from the user's brain signals. We also present the challenges and potential solutions in synchronizing and communicating between virtual and physical entities in the Metaverse

Engineering brain : metaverse for future engineering

The past decade has witnessed a notable transformation in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, with efforts made both in the academia and industry to facilitate improvement of efficiency, safety and sustainability in civil projects. Such advances have greatly contributed to a higher level of automation in the lifecycle management of civil assets within a digitalised environment. To integrate all the achievements delivered so far and further step up their progress, this study proposes a novel theory, Engineering Brain, by effectively adopting the Metaverse concept in the field of civil engineering. Specifically, the evolution of the Metaverse and its key supporting technologies are first reviewed; then, the Engineering Brain theory is presented, including its theoretical background, key components and their inter-connections. Outlooks of this theory’s implementation within the AEC sector are offered, as a description of the Metaverse of future engineering. Through a comparison between the proposed Engineering Brain theory and the Metaverse, their relationships are illustrated; and how Engineering Brain may function as the Metaverse for future engineering is further explored. Providing an innovative insight into the future engineering sector, this study can potentially guide the entire industry towards its new era based on the Metaverse environment