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Healthcare innovation through technology: Augmented Reality, cloud-based data, and more

Learn about our latest technological milestone, the Ready4 multiFiltratePRO Augmented Reality learning experience

Learn about our latest technological milestone, the Ready4 multiFiltratePRO Augmented Reality learning experience

Medical innovation through technology is changing the landscape of healthcare. Developments in technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and data processing are driving us toward more efficient patient care and improved patient outcomes every day. Fresenius Medical Care has utilized such technologies to positively impact the health of the patients we serve.

For example, the ApolloDialDB, our first anonymized global dialysis dataset, has recently completed phase one of the project, where data from the company’s global clinical systems in 40 countries across 6 continents has been harmonized into the cloud. The database includes information from more than 540,000 dialysis patients, more than 140 million dialysis treatments, and more than 34 million laboratory assessments.

In 2021, we implemented a virtual reality (VR) training tool to help our nurses and clinical staff better prepare people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) for home peritoneal dialysis therapy. The stay•safe MyTraining VR tool allows patients to receive additional training opportunities with a mix of visual, auditory, interactive, and text elements, making training more engaging.

The Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR - Augmented Reality Learning Experience

The Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR - Augmented Reality Learning Experience 

Our latest technological milestone is the Ready4 multiFiltratePRO Augmented Reality learning experience, a next-generation training supplement for medical staff that uses augmented reality (AR) with the intention to improve the proficiency and confidence of users of the multiFiltratePRO, an acute dialysis device used in intensive care units (ICUs). While VR completely immerses the user in a simulated, virtual environment, AR overlays digital elements in the real world. AR enhances education for healthcare professionals by engaging muscle memory and sensory systems, aiming to make hands-on experiences more memorable and effective compared to other forms of learning.

The AR glasses stream visual and acoustic recordings as users interact with the acute dialysis machine multiFiltratePRO. The on-demand refresher training provides medical professionals with an immersive learning experience that walks them through machine setup and troubleshooting to help prepare users to effectively deliver continuous kidney replacement therapy (CKRT). Users can review training independently when they have time and at their own pace, without requiring additional time from other staff. This new approach to training is designed to help HCPs achieve smoother workflows and fewer device errors.

Positive Reviews from Users

Positive Reviews from Users

Participants at the 43rd International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) in Brussels, Belgium, were able to test the AR glasses and interact with the virtual objects. The experience was met with excitement and positivity from all users.

At the 5th Asia Pacific Acute Kidney Injury & Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Congress (APAC) in Daegu, South Korea, another AR user noted, “I think the AR experience is amazingly helpful to get familiar with the device. Especially the troubleshooting aspect will help nurses to get along with the machine better.”

Overall reception of the AR training experience has been very positive among medical staff. A user experience study conducted by Fresenius Medical Care in early 2024 confirmed this: The majority of the 34 ICU nurses who tried the AR glasses stated that the hands-on training the device provides is helpful and looked forward to using this learning experience to retrain at their own pace. This study also showed that most of the inexperienced multiFiltratePRO users were able to set up the device successfully with the supplemental AR training.

“This is a major step forward in digital support for intensive care units and a great example of how we, as a company, are using the latest available technologies to enhance patient care,” says Dr. Olaf Schermeier, CEO of Critical Care & Ventures at Fresenius Medical Care. “As the global nursing shortage continues, high staff turnover rates are a major concern. This training provides a way to address some of these challenges our industry is facing by supporting the need for flexible, high-quality, and accessible education.”

Today, the Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR learning experience is available in select markets and will be made available to additional countries in Fresenius Medical Care’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa as well as Asia-Pacific regions throughout 2024. Given the interest in this type of learning experience, we are actively evaluating what other medical devices in our portfolio can benefit from AR.

Publication date: October 2024

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