The 58-page study profiles the efforts of five universities to either develop or procure virtual reality applications and use them in various forms of medical education. The five institutions profiled are the University of New England, the University of Utah, the University of Washington, the University of Alberta and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
The profiles are based on interviews with leading figures in the development of virtual reality in medical education at each of these institutions. The report probes how medical, dental and other healthcare faculty and administration, medical librarians and information technology staff, sometimes in collaboration with private sector partners, are developing and applying virtual reality in med schools and other health education and clinical environments.
The report outlines how researchers use innovative approaches to develop VR products including ways to find funding, garner administrative support, collaborate with others, hire help and run usability studies for assessment and improvement. Readers will obtain a a better understanding of how, why and how much they may want to invest in VR – and how to do it. The study particularly emphasizes university-wide collaboration among administration, faculty, IT staff, students, medical and other librarians, university technology transfer staff and third parties outside the institution.
The study was written by Brandon Patterson MA, MSI, Technology Engagement Librarian, Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah. Mr. Patterson is specialized in working closely with faculty on incorporating information literacy and technology into health sciences instruction.