August 19, 2021 – PrecisionOS, a provider of virtual reality (VR) training for orthopedic surgeons, has recently announced that with support from Oculus and an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games it will be providing SIGN Fracture Care, a global nonprofit humanitarian organization, with training for doctors doing orthopedic surgery in low-resource countries, helping to improving outcomes for patients with severe bone fractures and bone injuries.
Epic Games provided financial assistance through its Epic MegaGrants program, aiding in the development of the Unreal Engine-powered VR training solution; Facebook donated Oculus Quest 2 Headsets; and PrecisionOS created a training module that focuses on improving orthopedic fracture care.
PrecisionOS supplies immersive VR training for orthopedic surgeons for multiple medical device companies, professional societies and medical institutions worldwide. The company stated that the module for SIGN Fracture Care will help doctors in low-resource hospitals improve their cognitive understanding of joints and bone structures and develop psychomotor skills before performing treatments on patients. This will help to provide doctors with far more training than is presently available in the 55 developing countries served by SIGN Fracture Care, according to PrecisionOS. Previously, SIGN Fracture Care needed to fly surgeons to their headquarters or to a hospital in another country for training, which required the use of precious funding.
“Educating local surgeons to render care for patients in their home communities builds much-needed sustainable orthopedic capacity and improves the quality of life and longevity for people in low- and middle-income countries,” explained Lewis Zirkle, M.D, SIGN President and Founder “With PrecisionOS freeing resources up, we can move more rapidly towards our goal of creating equality of fracture care around the globe.”
SIGN Fracture Care will also be able to use the PrecisionOS system to monitor and track surgeon progress.
PrecisionOS’s VR training programs are built for surgeons and based on the learning theory of Deliberate Practice. The modules permit individual decision making, allowing trainees to try different approaches to a procedure and giving them performance and technical feedback until they are totally comfortable performing the procedure – as opposed to having trainees just do rote practice, which instead involves memorization through repetition.
“The Deliberate Practice approach to surgeon education has decades of research demonstrating its effectiveness. When surgeons are allowed to try alternate approaches, make mistakes and are offered challenges, the learning is most effective and provides better retention, that is the core foundation of PrecisionOS simulation software,” explained Danny Goel, MD, Surgeon and CEO of PrecisionOS.
“PrecisionOS is demonstrating that VR training can be less expensive and more accessible than traditional alternatives,” said Sebastien Loze, Simulation Industry Manager at Epic Games. “We’re thrilled to support this initiative through Epic MegaGrants, and to see Unreal Engine used for the betterment of those in need.”
PrecisionOS also noted that SIGN Fracture Care’s efforts have been recognized by the US Department of Defense, which awarded Dr. Zirkle with its Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
For more information on PrecisionOS and its virtual reality surgical training solutions, please visit the company’s website.
Image credit: PrecisionOS
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.