Today GIGXR, provider of the extended reality (XR) GIG Immersive Learning System for instructor-led teaching and training, has officially launched their Holographic Standardized Patient learning tools offering highly Realistic augmented Reality (AR) / Mixed Reality (MR) training opportunities perfect for remote-based learning especially during COVID-19.
GIGXR’s new bundled applications, GIG Mobile and HoloPatient Remote, are built for online and hybrid learning environments, these applications together facilitate safe and socially distanced standardized patient simulation training while enabling real-time interaction, engagement and clinical assessment between students and instructors. As countless clinical simulation programs around the world are helping their healthcare institutions overcome the challenges of COVID-19, the need to rapidly consider, purchase, install, and utilize new distance-based learning tools has never been greater before. And while there are several Virtual Reality companies offering high quality learning platforms in clinical education, it’s HealthySimulation.com‘s opinion that there are very few which offer Augmented Reality for full-bodied Standardized Patient (SP) engagements that are anywhere near the level of quality that exists with the GIGXR training platform.
HoloPatient Remote is an extension to GIGXR’s cloud-based HoloPatient application that transports true-to-life holographic patients to remote student locations where they can be viewed and examined by students using their phone or tablet during collaborative instructor-led simulation lab training sessions. GIG Mobile is used to control applications like HoloPatient Remote and interact with the GIG Immersive Learning System, an XR teaching system designed to enhance, not replace, existing curriculum and teaching methods.
While clinical hours are certainly a requirement for students going through nursing or medical school, more and more U.S. states are allowing healthcare educators to use clinical simulation, even as much as 50%, as a replacement for in-hospital care. That flexibility is good news, and again, especially during COVID-19, for healthcare programs who still need to provide realistic, psychologically safe learning environments which allow learners to master important clinical skills. The Coronavirus has forced the cancellation of many in-person sim lab engagements and clinical rotations, there has been an overwhelming need to replace those learning opportunities with new technologies — and fast!
“Guidelines around how instructors teach and engage with their students, whether online or on-campus, are shifting daily. Most are ending up with a hybrid model at best while still needing tools that optimize learning” said David King Lassman, CEO and founder of GIGXR. “This is especially challenging for fields that benefit from in-person, immersive training such as healthcare, where standardized patient training can’t be taught effectively over Zoom. We developed HoloPatient Remote and GIG Mobile so students can complete and even accelerate simulation training, in many cases meeting graduation requirements.”
GIGXR was already a step ahead of the pandemic, as they had been working on a remote platform for their HoloPatient application, which allows students and instructors to view highly realistic standardized holographic patients, simulate a range of pathologies, and improve their observational and diagnostic skills. GIGXR has expanded access to the highly realistic standardized patients supported by the Microsoft Hololens 2 headsets and the instructors using them.
Dan Ayoub, Mixed Reality Education Leader at Microsoft shares that “Our collaboration with the GIGXR suite of applications and team of technology entrepreneurs and thought leaders will dramatically impact the way the world uses mixed reality solutions for enhanced learning now and into the future.” Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 offers the most comfortable and immersive mixed reality experience available, with industry-leading solutions that deliver value in minutes—all enhanced by the reliability, security, and scalability of cloud and AI services from the company.
HoloPatient Remote makes learners more than just observers. HoloPatient Remote makes learners more than just observers. Mixed reality features on their devices allow each student to select a location within their own space for the holographic patient to sit, stand, or lie down in. Learners can walk around the patient (independently of the instructor’s movements) and communicate with the instructor via VoIP. Students can observe a wide range of pathologies, such as burns, COPD, COVID-19, and more. Instructors can also show states of decline and disease progression. Learners can work collaboratively, to facilitate strong learning outcomes with IPE teams.
The company also debuted GIG Mobile, which allows students, teachers, and administrators to work with GIGXR’s browser-based Immersive Learning System on their mobile devices. The HoloPateint is displayed in real-time to students who access the live learning experiences through their Android or iOS smartphones and tablets, maintaining safe social distancing while still “seeing” patients!
GIG Mobile supports the learning experience from session launch to evaluation. A simple one-tap QR code launches sessions and allows students to log in to the lesson securely and within seconds on their mobile devices. Instructors can create a replicable session template, and the application collects data for any changes (such as labeling) that happen during the session. Learners can access session data after the learning event, allowing them to review and absorb the material repetitively.
Already Supporting Dozens of Clinical Education Programs Around the World
GIGXR is trusted by academic institutions globally, including NYU, Ursuline, University of Pennsylvania, Bucks County Community College, Presbyterian Health Services, Creighton University, College of Lake County, Buckeye Hills Career Center in the United States; University of Canberra, TAFE Queensland, Flinders University, Otago Polytechnic, Southern Institute of Technology, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi in Australasia; University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Jane Frost, DNP from Australia’s University of Canberra shares that “GIGXR’s latest advancement HoloPatient Remote enables students to engage in realistic healthcare simulation experiences while learning remotely.” In our opinion, even after COVID-19 is in the rearview mirror, the long-term possibilities of high-quality remote simulation in healthcare training will continue to offer key advantages to colleges and universities.
HoloPatient Remote and GIG Mobile are bundled applications that are available to download via the iOS App or Google Play Stores. These apps are free to students and instructors of institutions who license the Immersive Learning System and HoloPatient application. With the announcement of HoloPatient Remote, a discounted starter package is available to institutions that purchase during the 2020 Fall Term.
