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The Graduate Health & Life Sciences Research Library at Georgetown University Medical Center

Virtual Reality and Medicine

A guide to virtual reality use in health care and medicine.

VR Headsets

 

Virtual Reality

Image provided by Pixabay under the CC0 license

The most immersive virtual reality experiences use a stand alone VR headset  or  a  combination of  PC , VR headset,  and software.   

The standalone VR headsets do need a PC in order to update  the headset software.   Handheld controllers can also be added for additional control over the virtual environment.   These VR devices can track a user's movement,  called "positional tracking",  within a space - a feature not available when using VR apps and a smartphone.

The healthcare industry is developing applications and uses for these types of devices. 
Some areas of high development are PSTD treatment,  anxiety disorder  treatment, and pain management.

Recent clinical trials involving VR

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