* Reducing mortality via emergency response to opioid overdoses
* A new initiative would teach first responders using mixed reality technology
* However, it is still in its early stages and is anticipated to be prototyped next year
Through the use of so-called mixed reality technology, a new initiative at an Illinois health care system seeks to assist in providing medical professionals and regular people with realistic crisis training to react to drug overdoses.
The new initiative, which is currently in development by staff members at OSF Healthcare and academics from various Illinois institutions, aims to help first responders become more knowledgeable about how to administer life-saving medicine in an emergency situation that might be challenging to replicate offline.
In contrast to virtual reality, which engulfs users in entirely made-up digital worlds via the use of headsets, mixed reality overlays digital visuals on top of the physical environment right in front of the user’s eyes.
In order to teach Americans how to react to someone who is overdosing by delivering naloxone (which is often offered as the nasal spray Narcan), the researchers want to create a virtual programme that can be delivered using headsets.
Currently, mannequins and other objects are often used in the training for these types of medical treatments. Users will be able to avoid any associated costs thanks to mixed reality technology.
This project’s collaborator, Roy Magnuson, an assistant professor of creative technologies at Illinois State University, said that individuals don’t necessarily need to purchase mannequins since they may be quite expensive.
The researchers will create the technology for Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset. They want to start utilising grant money in January to design a prototype, and by the spring they want to have something to test.
Magnuson acknowledged that there could be disadvantages to employing mixed reality training that become apparent after individuals utilise the technology, such as the possibility that users won’t always physically feel the event. He said that you need to touch a mannequin to get a feel for what it is.
Graduate student at Illinois State University and research participant Matt Kase also made the observation that certain users might feel at ease utilising this technology while others wouldn’t.
He said that it can be intimidating to use this technology if someone gives the virtual reality headset to their parents or someone older.
The project’s director and head of the OSF Design Lab, Scott Barrows, said that their goal is to reach customers worldwide in order to develop technology that is user-friendly.
He continued by saying that they planned to your local communities to learn more about how people use technology, how to improve its acceptance, and how to design user interfaces for individuals who may not be acquainted with or have access to mobile phones.
