Remote multidisciplinary heart team meetings in immersive virtual reality: a first experience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

What are the new findings? Due to COVID-19 pandemic, gathering restrictions have challenged the organisation of physical multidisciplinary meetings, requiring innovative remote meeting methods, such as the immersive virtual reality (VR)-based method presented in this article. Immersive VR-based coronary revascularisation meetings were organised to enable remote multidisciplinary discussion between cardiac surgeons and cardiologists. How might it impact on healthcare in the future? In the near future, extended reality platforms could overcome social distancing and gathering restrictions by enabling remote multidisciplinary collaboration for healthcare providers. VR-technology could have the potential to positively impact developments in preprocedural medical planning, televirtuality and digital health solutions that could benefit both patients and physicians.