Establish the feasibility of a 3D virtual world for the delivery of ophthalmology training materials in a remote multi-user setting.

The Solution:

Our RD_Construct platform was modified to allow for the delivery of ophthalmic training materials in a small virtual lab / classroom. The training materials were delivered via interactive tasks and tools related to patient histories.

A custom user interface was developed for tracking a students’ progress on diagnosing each patient.

Additionally, students and teachers could use the platform’s existing communications methods to share their findings.

Who we helped:

School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University
Resound Training

Project objective:

The aim of the project was to develop a 3D virtual optometry clinic and evaluate the use for clinical decision making and patient management. It would also determine the potential for future development and use of 3D optometry clinics in the sector.

Benefits Delivered:

1. Identified the potential to revolutionise optometry training using a 3D Virtual Eye Clinic.
2. Through the research it was also identified that this method of delivering high-level training could be applied in other sectors of education.
3. The client identified the possibility for the program to load in custom teaching materials without any technical support.
4. Training via the virtual environment would allow remote learning during times when on-site learning or travel has become impractical or impossible.
5. Identified cost saving benefits in a scalable platform.
6. There would be no need for a real patient to be present for some of the training.
7. Safety. A virtual world allows more easily for experimentation and failure states without danger to a patient.

Outcomes:

A review with the project’s finings can be read here:

https://www.centralfund.org.uk/3d-virtual-eye-clinic/