A vision on healthcare / Marieke Jongma

Hello dear reader!

I would like to share my vision on healthcare with you. With a lot of experience in healthcare, I have learned where the opportunities and preparations lie and how we can tackle problems together in an effective way. I would like to tell you how our product VRelax can be of significance in this.

As a healthcare professional, there have been several moments in which I have marveled at the resilience and combativeness of people. Good care and support at the right time helps people move forward. And often people themselves know very well what helps them further when things go wrong. The challenge for professionals is more to find that hands-on solution that actually works and adds value, and to deploy it.

Intrigued by the effect of stress on people's well-being and how much time is lost with colleagues on stress-related complaints, I started an exploration. By talking to patients, I soon found out that the maelstrom of negative thoughts made it difficult for them to relax and concentrate. The broad possibilities for self-help in the event of stress or pain were suddenly limited, because almost all interventions require focus or concentration.

So look for a hands-on helpline that you can use anytime and anywhere if you experience a high level of stress. Together with patients, professionals, clinicians and the VRelax team, we started prototyping and exploring. This was a great phase. Magic was created by connecting the different perspectives. The central question; What works for you and what helps you further? It is a great journey in which many personal experiences have been shared and warm contacts have been made. We have learned a lot about the amazing effect of virtual reality, the value of science and about how the field of work can integrate VRelax into the care offer.

 'We make the technology for VR relaxation, the healthcare professionals then use it to make an impact'

Implementation

1. Assess the added value for the client, healthcare professional and healthcare organization.
2. Analyze the impact. Not only technically and financially, but also in terms of patient-oriented care, customization and scalability for all stakeholders.
3. Assess whether the (social) business case surrounding VRelax is appropriate.
4. Test the added value and business case in a pilot. If your conclusions are positive, scaling up is the next step: embedding VRelax technology in the daily practice of your clients and employees.

VRelax was developed together with patients, healthcare professionals and clinicians. It offers customization, adds value to end users and is affordable, secure and scalable. VRelax will really help the client and thus the care. It is sustainable, affordable and scalable. A team of experts will help you with questions about a correct introduction and implementation.

The right care in the right place. VRelax contributes to the prevention of (more expensive) care, offers the possibility to organize care close to people, by using e-health technology. Support in the daily functioning of the patient or client is central.

Curation, Prevention and Amplification 

Development VRelax

If you look at the developments within VRelax, we always approach issues with the following questions: 1) What does it benefit the client or patient, 2) does it help healthcare professionals in their work, and 3) does it contribute to a healthier population and lower healthcare costs. If you include these principles in the development steps, you will look at the use of VR technology in a very different way. Developing in co-creation and based on the needs of the end users is a wonderful thing to do. Together you create the best possible environment in which immediate relaxation is achieved. VRelax helps people with stress and tension complaints, but also people who experience pain or physical discomfort. People with very different conditions.

We listen carefully to users and healthcare professionals. We have experienced that magic is created through co-creation. With small and often minor interventions, we can relieve care on several fronts, which improves care and can also make the work more beautiful. Based on our experiences, we are very alert to opportunities and we always start every development from the end user's perspective. We actively share experiences of innovation processes with colleagues and healthcare institutions. We believe that you should not keep this knowledge and experiences to yourself, but instead be really open, let people watch and expect others to involve us too. Everyone wants to make healthcare more sustainable, right? And when you see that a client or patient revives from the help he receives… that's what matters.

Healthcare technology and digitization, we can no longer do without. VRelax is completely built in co-creation with end users. With real photo-realistic content, own composed spatial audio. In short, smart technology that you don't always see, but that absolutely contributes to the most optimal relaxing experience. VRelax is a helpline that people can use anytime, anywhere. VRelax is used within all echelons of mental health care. And also in care for the disabled and elderly care. In order to give people with somatic complaints or psycho-geriatric symptoms a dignified old age.

Within VRelax we combine different technologies. It's a smart ecosystem of multiple apps that connect with each other. Information is collected via the dashboard for proper boarding of users and to provide insight into the effect of VRelax. You always have 24/7 contact via the app and the practitioner can also watch if desired.

As a society, we must still be able to provide good care in 2040. Then there are simply fewer hands to provide care. We must now commit to technology to enable the change that is needed. Letting tech innovations land in healthcare is something we do together, it is a social achievement that we deliver. Together we ensure that the much desired future-proof care gets off the ground.

Mary Youngma