The Challenge
Until recently, radiographers have only been able to improve their skills using an actual CT scanner. But access to these scanners is very limited due to their relative scarcity and patient demand. So GE Healthcare wanted help creating a VR environment that opened up more opportunities for their trainees – not only by increasing the number of practical training hours but also by training radiographers in more procedures.
“This VR training adds great value because of being able to experience a CCTA set up without holding up the room or patient list
Senior radiographer, GE HEALTHCARE
What we did
To create a genuinely valuable experience for radiographers, we worked closely with our clients to develop an unprecedented level of detail in the new VR training programme. Real-life interactions for operating the CT machine are computer-based, so we built full software simulations into the flow, including the final scan images. This required simulating hundreds of steps, whilst keeping the ability to make mistakes in a safe environment. A senior CTCA-accredited radiographer described feeling ‘right at home’ after spending an hour in the simulation.
What this means
- Opens up faster, more regular training for radiographers
- Reduces the need to train on actual CT scanners, so they can be operational for longer
- During VR training, trainees can perform actual calculations using real scans to drive decisions
- All actions are tracked in real-time, enabling instant review and feedback
- All VR training to be accessed via a URL, meaning it is easy to scale on and offline
