October 07, 2024
Yes, I think it’s likely that VR technologies will be used actively in healthcare. A robust, easy-to-use VR environment is a very logical next step for companies that are have already taken a particularly deep dive into telehealth services, and as those organizations step up, others will follow.
However, I think it will take the involvement of companies that can support large, commonly-shared platforms to make this approach take off. While individual healthcare organizations can theoretically build out VR infrastructure, it will take a lot of firepower to connect users together efficiently and operate an environment that doesn’t feel like a cheap Blade Runner knockoff.
The most obvious company positioned to support VR-based healthcare businesses is Facebook, which is moving in this direction as it evolves into its new identity as meta.
That being said, any number of big tech firms could follow in Facebook’s footsteps and many are likely to do so. Google seems like an obvious contender, if for no other reason than that it has the resources to build out this kind of platform and would benefit from providing infrastructure that enhances the experience of web usage.
My guess is that the initial users of VR will be small to mid-sized medical practices, given that they are particularly active in offering telehealth services and operate on a scale that could be reproduced on a VR platform realistically.
What’s not clear at this point is whether it will make sense for them to create fully immersive VR environments that demand the use of VR headsets. It seems unlikely, given how expensive these devices are. Even Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2, one of the most affordable headsets at $299, is far too pricey for most consumers.
Until those headsets become considerably cheaper, it’s unlikely healthcare organizations have any reason to move in the direction of creating fully immersive VR experience. head in that direction.
