As leaders in healthcare simulation, you guide development of the ultra-realistic models and virtual environments that elevate clinical skills and decision-making competency. Digital twin technology promises to vastly expand the fidelity and customisability of the vital simulations you create.
What Exactly Are Digital Twins in This Context?
Fundamentally, digital twins are 1:1 virtual counterparts of real-world objects or systems. They utilise integrated Internet of Things data, Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality, and other data to produce living digital models that both mirror and simulate physical entity behavior. In healthcare education, digital twins enable elaborately detailed rehearsal of clinical techniques, interactions, and protocols by replicating patients, anatomy, medical tools, and authentic care spaces.
The Anatomy Lab Meets the Metaverse
Anatomical digital twins constructed from actual DICOM and cross-sectional scans open radical possibilities for self-driven procedural rehearsal. Learners could rotate hyper accurate organ models and practice incisions showing exactly how tissue should respond. VR simulation environments networked to allow collaborative technique practice on the same digital twin patient are also on the horizon.
Piloting Prospective Protocols Risk-Free
Healthcare is often about careful choreography – from surgical tool passing to transferring critically ill patients between departments. Before deploying team protocols, leaders can utilise digital twins of equipment, devices, and multi-user environments to determine optimal orchestration that minimises errors.
As we enter a new era of healthcare competence development, few technologies show more promise than digital twins for creating targeted, reusable simulation experiences without danger or wear on real-world resources. The creative possibilities are endless. It is our collective responsibility as medical simulation creators to unleash their full capability.
To find out more about our work and research, get in touch or check out the rest of the Simplainer series.
