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Table 1 Overview of the possible applications of VR and VR for patients, their relatives or health care providers

From: Virtual and augmented reality in critical care medicine: the patient’s, clinician’s, and researcher’s perspective

User

Aim

Description

Virtual reality

Augmented reality

Patient

Distraction/entertainment

VR to distract patients during critical care therapy or during invasive procedures. (+)

(−)

Treatment

VR to enhance the rehabilitation of patients during critical care therapy. (+)

(−)

Information

VR to inform the patient during and after the intensive care treatment about critical care therapy. (+)

(−)

Relatives

Education

VR to inform the family or relatives during and after the intensive care treatment about critical care therapy. (+)

(−)

Communication

VR to establish virtual ward rounds. (+)

AR to help during virtual ward rounds. (−)

Health care provider

Education

For critical care beginners to learn complex critical care subjects. (+)

For critical care beginners to learn complex intensive care subjects. (+)

Communication

VR to establish virtual ward rounds. (+)

AR to help during virtual ward rounds.

Stress

VR to help relaxing. (+)

(−)

Treatment

(−)

AR to help health care providers performing complex intensive care procedures. (+)

  1. ( +) = studies available, ( −) = no studies available or approach has currently not been investigated