PrecisionOS, with support from Oculus and an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games, is providing SIGN Fracture Care, a global nonprofit humanitarian organization, with training for doctors doing orthopedic surgery in low-resource countries, vastly improving outcomes for patients with severe bone fractures and bone injuries.
Epic Games provided financial assistance through Epic MegaGrants, aiding in the development of the Unreal Engine-powered VR training solution; Facebook donated Oculus Quest 2 Headsets; and PrecisionOS created a training module specific to the needs of SIGN Fracture Care, which focuses on improving orthopedic fracture care.
PrecisionOS supplies immersive VR training for orthopedic surgeons for multiple medical device companies, professional societies and major medical institutions worldwide. The cutting-edge module for SIGN Fracture Care will help doctors in low resource hospitals improve their cognitive understanding of joints and bone structures and develop psychomotor skills before performing treatments on patients, far more training than is presently available in the 55 developing countries served by SIGN Fracture Care. Previously, SIGN Fracture Care needed to fly surgeons to their headquarters or to a hospital in another country for training, using precious funding.
“Educating local surgeons to render care for patients in their home communities builds much-needed sustainable orthopedic capacity and improves the quality of life and longevity for people in low- and middle-income countries,” explained Lewis Zirkle, M.D., SIGN President and Founder. “With PrecisionOS freeing resources up, we can move more rapidly towards our goal of creating equality of fracture care around the globe.”
SIGN Fracture Care will also be able to use the PrecisionOS system to monitor and track surgeon progress.
The PrecisionOS training modules are the only VR training programs for surgeons built around the proven learning theory: Deliberate Practice. The modules permit individual decision making, allowing the trainee to try different approaches to the procedure and giving them performance and technical feedback until they are totally comfortable performing the procedure – not just having them do rote practice, a critical differentiation from competitive solutions.
“We developed a training module for SIGN to use in low- to middle-income countries which have scarce resources and where access to quality surgical care is a growing global health concern,” explains Danny Goel, M.D., surgeon and CEO of PrecisionOS. “With our module, local surgeons in those countries will be able to access effective training on current orthopaedic techniques, improving orthopedic fracture care and benefitting patients by allowing them to return to their daily lives as quickly as possible.”
“PrecisionOS is demonstrating that VR training can be less expensive and more accessible than traditional alternatives.” said Sebastien Loze, Simulation Industry Manager, Epic Games. “We’re thrilled to support this initiative through Epic MegaGrants, and to see Unreal Engine used for the betterment of those in need.”
SIGN Fracture Care’s efforts have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense, which awarded Dr. Zirkle with its Medal for Distinguished Public Service.