Mental Health & Addiction
Going High Tech
Using Virtual Reality for Experiential Training
In the consumer world, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are rapidly growing technologies that have become popular in the gaming market. But the utility of AR and VR go well beyond gaming and entertainment.
Businesses are using this technology to connect remote offices for more personalized meetings, automotive companies are using VR to assist in the design process and to reduce prototyping costs, interior designers are using VR to create 3D models that help in renovations or home sales. With almost limitless possibilities, there should be no surprise that virtual reality is also finding uses in the healthcare industry.
At St. Joe’s, researchers and clinicians are working together to assess the feasibility and efficacy of using virtual reality for staff training, with a particular focus on aggressive or violent incident simulations.
Did you know?
Augmented reality (AR) uses technology to superimpose a computer-generated image in a user’s view of the real world. Virtual reality (VR) allows the user to interact within a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment.
Aggressive or violent incidents directed at healthcare workers are, unfortunately, not uncommon across the industry. These situations can have significant impacts to the physical and mental health of staff members.
If these situations are handled badly, they can lead to greater harm to staff, the patient, and their co-patients. On the other hand, when handled properly, staff are able to maintain safety and security.
St. Joe’s already requires training, but the ability to accurately simulate these complex, nuanced situations using the Hospital’s existing training methods is challenging.
Forensic Psychiatry involves the overlap between law and psychiatry. Forensic psychiatrists provide services, such as determining competency to stand trial, and providing treatment, including medications and psychotherapy to individuals involved with the law.
Forensic psychiatry researchers at St. Joe’s, led by Dr. Gary Chaimowitz, are working in collaboration with Dr. Azim Gangji and the Department of Education & Learning to create the next generation of training – using virtual reality.
The Forensic Psychiatry Service at St. Joe’s is no stranger to using VR. In 2018, they used similar technology to create realistic virtual experiences for staff that were based on hospital and detention centre seclusion rooms, which are sometimes used with forensic patients.
“We [were] looking at how long you can be in there before you get anxious,” Dr. Chaimowitz told The Toronto Star in 2018, “and what it’s like to have a different staff response, the idea being that we are going to try to sensitize staff to what it’s like to be on the inside, which might change the way they interact with patients, both in terms of their tone and also a recognition of what it’s like to be there.”
The latest research project aims to evaluate the value of utilizing a simulated VR system to train for aggressive or violent scenarios on over 100 learners.
“This first-of-its-kind pilot project has the potential to widen the use of this innovative technology within our Hospital, System, and beyond,” says Dr. Chaimowitz.
Researchers will assess the project’s ease of use and compare it to current training methods, with a focus on potential improvements in de-escalation use and the ability to learn asynchronously. In addition, five key staff members from both clinical and mental health research will be trained on the Virtualware system, allowing them to build out VR content that is catered to St. Joe’s.
Forensic Psychiatry is part of our Mental Health & Addiction research pillar.
By investing in both the physical infrastructure as well as the technical know-how, our Hospital will have the ability to leverage VR training for many years to come as an industry leader.
This project has received generous support from St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation.
