World’s first holographic doctor technology unveiled

The cutting-edge technology is a new mixed reality application for Microsoft HoloLens and was revealed to tech business experts from across the world by Silver Chain Chief Executive Officer Dr Christopher McGowan at a conference in Florida last week.

Dr McGowan says the Enhanced Medical Mixed Reality (EMMR) will enable Silver Chain Group’s 650 clients, who are currently receiving services as part of the organisations virtual hospital, to experience real-time remote interaction with healthcare professionals in their own homes, with health care professionals able to appear as holograms projected by the headset.

He says the technology, designed by Silver Chain Group in consultation with Microsoft, will enable a ‘new and seamless level of world best interactive health and aged care’.

“The EMMR will enhance the delivery of our services, further supporting our clients to remain at home, rather than be transferred to a hospital.” Dr McGowan says.

“They can have their consultations in the home – they won’t have to travel for appointments and clinical specialists can remain in central locations while still providing personalised care and saving the healthcare system time and money.”

He adds that their research indicates around 30 percent of people don’t need to be in hospital and could be receiving the same safe, quality treatment at home where they feel more comfortable with the added benefit of freeing hospital beds for critically unwell patients.

The use of EMMR will see a Silver Chain nurse visit a client who will use the HoloLens to gain hands free access to clients’ clinical data through a holographic dashboard, while a doctor can effectively ‘see through the eyes of the nurse’ as consultation takes place and will allow the sharing of clinical data in real time.

Dr McGowan says the EMMR represents the forefront of a technological revolution within health care in Australia, putting clients first and providing them with greater at home care options.

“This new application will give clients greater confidence to live at home, with the knowledge that clinical staff can access specialists using Microsoft HoloLens, as well as the ability to share real time consultations with family members anywhere in the world via mixed reality capture technology,” he says.

“EMMR raised the prospect not of ‘will’ technology change our healthcare system, but more ‘when’ and ‘how’ it will revolutionise delivery of care in Australia.”

The application is currently in its final stages of software development and will be trialled over the coming months across a variety of locations and settings before the technology is rolled out to silver Chain Group clients on a larger scale.