Virtual Reality Meets Diabetes

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Medical Technology
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are emerging technologies with significant potential in healthcare.
• Their applications in diabetes management are increasingly being explored for various aspects of patient care and professional training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of current virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications in diabetes.
• To identify key application areas, future directions, and establish a foundation for developing novel VR tools for diabetes.
• To compare features and benefits of existing VR diabetes applications.

Main Methods:

• A thorough literature review of virtual reality for diabetes was conducted using multiple databases.
• Features, benefits, and weaknesses of existing VR diabetes applications were analyzed.
• A novel virtual reality diabetes tool prototype was developed and presented.

Main Results:

• Three primary categories for VR in diabetes were identified: education, prevention, and treatment.
• VR and AR applications demonstrate benefits for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
• Target groups for VR in diabetes education include clinicians, adults, and children with diabetes.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) hold potential to significantly enhance diabetologist training and patient education, prevention, and treatment for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
• Future research should focus on integrating diverse digital platforms and stakeholder input to advance VR/AR diabetes applications.
• Early-stage VR diabetes innovations offer advantages and opportunities for improving diabetes training, management, and treatment.