Our Blog | IKONA Health

Using Augmented Reality to Train Kidney Care Professionals to Operate and Maintain Devices

Meet Kelly

For years Kelly was working as a nursing assistant for a home health care provider. She was working towards her RN in hopes of transitioning into a role in the kidney care field. Growing up, two of Kelly’s uncles had been on dialysis, so she had always wanted to help patients like them and others in her community with kidney disease. Before graduation, a few friends from her nursing program — all of whom went on to work with dialysis patients —  had been asking Kelly to make the career transition and join them as a home therapies RN.

Using Immersive Technology to Educate Home Dialysis Patients

Meet Samuel 

Two years ago Samuel landed in the hospital unexpectedly after his kidneys failed. It was scary for Samuel and his family. Fortunately, he was in good hands with his care team and nephrologist and soon started dialysis treatments at a treatment facility in a nearby town. Samuel has been on hemodialysis ever since, driving 10 miles to the dialysis clinic three times each week. He spends hours there and feels tied down, with little opportunity to travel or relax at home with family and friends. But time isn't his only obstacle to maintaining some sense of normalcy — he just doesn't feel up to doing anything following his treatments.

Recently, a friend at work told Samuel how home dialysis had been the right decision for his wife, so Samuel wanted to learn more and decided to follow up with his doctor. He talked to his nephrologist who then directed him to a number of websites where he could find documents describing the pros and cons of home dialysis. Samuel struggled to fully comprehend how his day-to-day life would be different on home dialysis, but in the end, he decided that he wanted to give it a go. [For a discussion of the problems associated with medical device decisions based solely on documents follow this link.] 

How VR Enhances Understanding and Communication Through Shared Experience

Meet Aiko

Aiko is a 59-year old mother of three. Aiko was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes over a decade ago now, but was hospitalized four years ago when her kidneys “crashed”, landing her in the hospital rather unexpectedly. Though she has been on dialysis ever since that first surprise trip to the hospital, recently she was informed that her long wait for a kidney transplant might finally be over. Aiko is excited about the prospect of having a healthy kidney that will free her from the dialysis regiment that has controlled her life for years, but naturally she is anxious and stressed about the upcoming surgery and its implications for returning to normal life.

Using Immersive Technology to Recruit, Onboard, and Train Frontline Senior Care Staff

Meet Raul, Octavia, and Thomas 

Raul, Octavia and Thomas had been on the job hunt for a while looking for an entry level opportunity in the fast-growing senior care profession. All three were excited for the opportunity to work with seniors and were thrilled when a local senior care facility called them in for an interview. In the interview, each was asked to discuss their credentials, aspirations, and why they wanted to work in senior care. Raul stated that he “wanted to give back”; though, he had no experience caring for an older adult. On the other hand, both Octavia and Thomas had grandparents who they had helped care for in recent years. They both stated that they knew what to expect, yet  neither had any formal senior care experience or training.

Why Virtual Reality is Advantageous for Healthcare Education in Children and Seniors

The United States has a health literacy problem, with 9 of 10 Americans struggling to understand and use health information. But this is not merely a macro health issue: low health literacy costs the U.S. economy up to $238 billion dollars per year.