Medical Uses
VR and the Oculus Rift could also have an impact in the medical field. I’m not talking about virtual surgeries (although that would be cool for med students) but instead the burgeoning world of virtual reality immersion therapy (VRIT).
VRIT is a type of psychotherapy that is used as a way to treat patients who suffer from anxiety disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinical researchers such as Emory School of Medicine’s Dr. Barbara Rothbaum and USC Keck School of Medicine’s Dr. Skip Rizzo are actively involved in using VR as a way to treat traumatic brain injuries and PTSD. USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies has used Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan exposure therapy to treat service members and veterans who are suffering from PTSD and other post-war stresses.
Dr. Rizzo, in fact, was among the first to receive the Oculus Rift developer kit. He told The Verge last year that “[the Oculus Rift] has the capacity to turn virtual reality into a mass-market treatment.”