VIDEO: Virtual reality gives providers a deeper understanding of addiction

ORLANDO — A group of researchers at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine created a cinematic virtual reality experience that conveys the human element of addiction.

They discussed the project at this year’s Osteopathic Medical Education Conference.

Elizabeth A. Beverly, PhD, a professor in the department of primary care, explained to Healio that they wanted to show certain aspects of the lives of patients who struggle with opioid use disorder (OUD) that are normally hidden from the view of health care providers.

For example, in one of the patient case episodes presented in virtual reality, participants are introduced to Destiny, a pregnant young adult from the Appalachians struggling with OUD. She has an interaction with a health care provider that is “not ideal,” according to Beverly — this was done purposefully to demonstrate a learning opportunity — and viewers are shown several vignettes that offer important context in Destiny’s life.

“What happens in those snapshots is you see things that you don’t normally see ... this taps into someone’s affective learning,” she said. “If you can teach someone, but at the same time get an emotional response, you’re much more likely to remember that information. We’re trying to tap into someone’s emotions because that also increases someone’s empathy toward the situation.”

References:

• Gwilym J, Beverly E. Using virtual reality to visualize the opioid crisis. Presented at: OMED; Oct. 6-8, 2023; (hybrid meeting).
• Ohio mental health and addiction director experiences OHIO’s VR and its potential for health care and law enforcement training. https://www.ohio.edu/news/2022/10/ohio-mental-health-and-addiction-director-experiences-ohios-vr-and-its-potential. Published Oct. 24, 2022. Accessed Oct. 10, 2023.