First-of-its-kind study into the impact of extended reality on UK healthcare launched

It highlights the changing face of healthcare technologies, which has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, and how augmented reality and virtual reality is revolutionising the global healthcare market.

The Growing Value of XR in Healthcare in the UK report is the first study of its kind to explore the use of extended reality in the UK’s healthcare sector. Extended reality is the umbrella category that covers all forms of computer-altered reality, including augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality.

The report has been funded by Health Education England, UKRI and Rescape and developed in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University’s Impact VRLab, NIHR Mental Health MedTech Co-operative and XR Safety Initiative.

It delves into use cases of XR in healthcare across a number of key application areas, including rehabilitation and physiotherapy, pain management, clinical mental health, arts and wellbeing and healthcare professional training. The report showcases the people and projects innovating in this space and demonstrates the health economics in clinical and non-clinical settings.

Ivan Phelan, Sheffield Hallam’s Impact VRLab lead, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this report that is a first of its kind in exploring XR in the UK’s healthcare sector. The recommendations from this report will be a great benefit to others exploring this growing area.”

The report has found that a growing, world-class XR in healthcare market is emerging in the UK however, despite significant market potential, more evidence is needed to measure the benefits to patients and value to the healthcare system – in order to leverage the wider funding and investment needed to grow a sustainable and thriving XR-in-healthcare sector in the UK.

The findings will help government and public health services make informed decisions about what needs to be put in place to ensure the UK is in the best position possible to fully exploit the potential of XR in healthcare today and, ultimately, improve patient outcomes and the quality of people's lives into the future.