Medical students at Imperial College London are using mixed reality technology from Microsoft to experience real patients in hospitals despite COVID-19 restrictions.

Imperial’s faculty of medicine is using Microsoft HoloLens technology to overcome the challenges of face-to-face training in hospitals as healthcare providers sought to combat the spread of Coronavirus.

Professor Amir Sam, head of Imperial College School of Medicine, said hands-on, real-world experience was critical for students in order for them to become competent and skilled doctors who can treat patients safely and effectively.

Clinicians and educators at Imperial have been using Microsoft’s HoloLens headset in outpatient clinics and ward rounds, which enables them to share a live feed of what they are seeing with students watching on their devices at home.

Patients give their consent so X-rays and charts of patients can also be displayed for the students, who can ask the HoloLens-wearing doctors questions about what they are seeing.

Sam said: “Medical students learn by observing and assisting a professional. That was obviously impossible over the past few months but we remain committed to ensuring Imperial produces some of the best doctors in the world.

“Initial HoloLens pilots have been amazing and the feedback from doctors has been phenomenal. What it will enable us to do is provide consistent, immersive teaching for hundreds of students wherever they are.”

He added that via the livestream on their devices, they can see a real patient, interact with the clinician wearing the headset as well as medication lists and observation charts, and view radiological images.

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