Virtual Reality Is Transforming Radiology

Among the studies, several showed the power of VR to enhance education and training through simulation-based learning. VR’s ability to provide a 3D environment helped in training for musculoskeletal procedures like biopsies and neurological interventions like lumbar punctures. Research has shown that the addition of VR improved the performance of residents in terms of speed and accuracy.

“What we’ve seen in the papers is that VR gives residents confidence and comfort in a safe environment where they can make mistakes without harming patients,” Zaki said. “It’s not replacing standard training, but it definitely helps trainees get more comfortable with procedures.”

Interventional radiology offers some of the most promising applications for VR. Radiologists can simulate complex procedures several times in the VR space, helping ensure precise navigation during the actual procedure.

VR facilitates connectivity among radiologists and other specialists by providing virtual tumor boards and other opportunities for collaboration. This breaks down geographical barriers, promotes interdisciplinary teamwork, and facilitates knowledge exchange among professionals. The research shows that telemedicine and remote consultations can benefit from the technology.

“In teleradiology, VR enables you to be in the room with your residents and students and go over the readouts as opposed to doing it over the phone or Zoom,” Zaki said. “These VR headsets can potentially supplement or replace the traditional reading rooms.”

Additionally, VR streamlines workstation tasks for radiologists, optimizing workflow efficiency and enhancing image interpretation and analysis speed and accuracy. With the increasing demand for imaging and the need for radiologists, VR-dependent technology not only improves workstation efficacy but also potentially enhances accuracy and facilitates remote working.

“VR will provide more opportunities for patient consultation,” added Arash Bedayat, MD, a diagnostic radiologist at the University of California in Los Angeles and Zaki’s adviser on the project. “Radiologists and patients can look at the same thing in a 3D model, which will help the patients better understand what’s going to happen during their procedure.”

The significant upfront costs of VR is likely to slow its adoption, but Zaki sees a bright future for the technology.

“We believe that VR is a game-changer for radiology that can transform patient care,” he said. “We would like to overcome these adoption barriers so that it reaches its full potential in radiology practices.”

Access the presentation, “Implications of Virtual Reality in Radiology: Present and Future Applications - A Systematic Review,” (T3-SSMS02-3) on demand at RSNA.org/MeetingCentral.