The Impact of COVID-19: A Case Study From Virti
As the world readies itself for a socially-distanced future, at Virti we’ve been busier than ever - supporting the NHS and a range of businesses adapting to the new normal.
My company is working to pioneer the combined use of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver truly impactful remote training and education - demand for which is skyrocketing.
At the very start of the pandemic, following Health Education England approval, we rolled out our bespoke COVID-19 training modules across a number of NHS hospitals for use in preparing frontline staff to work on COVID-19 intensive care wards.
Clinicians were able to access our immersive training platform via a virtual reality headset, desktop or smart device, and our interactive software was used to upskill clinicians on key areas such as how to safely apply and remove personal protective equipment (PPE), how to navigate an unfamiliar intensive care ward, and how to engage with patients and their families.
May was an exciting month, as Virti supplied technology for use in a study carried out as part of the Government funded TechForce19 challenge. The results showed that training via immersive digital technology can improve understanding of infection control measures amongst carers by 76% and improve their knowledge retention of crucial health and safety guidelines by 230%.
Later that month, we embarked on a partnership with a number of leading medical device manufacturers to transform device-specific training and sales demonstrations. The industry is being hit hard by the suspension of trade shows and conferences, and face-to-face training sessions are more logistically difficult than ever. However, using the Virti platform, such activities can be carried out at scale by eliminating the need for interpersonal contact.
Device manufacturers can create and upload their own content to the cloud platform - complete with animations and voice instructions - for clients and potential customers to interact with remotely, and then analyse how their content and products are being used.
This means that new technologies - from ventilators to surgical tools - can be virtually tested by prospective buyers, and that medical professionals can participate in customised training activities that prepare them to use a particular device or medication safely. This is proving extremely popular, and we expect to see the practice adopted widely both in the UK and the US in coming months.
Looking forward to the autumn and winter, we plan to expand our operations significantly to meet the international and domestic surge in demand for remote training and sales. Virtual conferencing is set to explode in 2021, and we’re excited to explore how our platform can be used to deliver immersive and engaging remote mass participation events.
We’ll also continue to pursue the roll out of our technology across health sector education settings, including the upskilling of mental health specialists in London, the training of registrar anaesthetists in the west of England, and amongst medical students in universities across the country.
I can proudly say that the Virti team has adapted remarkably well to remote working, and we’re managing to maintain close communication with our partners in the US and around the world. Video calling and shared Slack channels are helping us to keep our workload on track and remain creatively connected. Of course it is frustrating to be unable to meet our new clients and team members face to face, but we’re hoping that this will be possible sooner rather than later.
Dr Alex Young, Founder & CEO, Virti