UCHealth leaps into AR for Patient Engagement and Experience

For its first mobile augmented reality use case, UCHealth will give patients and others a chance to interact with virtual dogs while they sit in real waiting rooms. Patient distraction therapy, long-used by UCHealth with virtual reality and other techniques, and joy are framing the Aurora, Colorado-based health system's first in-app augmented reality experience. Beginning this fall, a patient or visitor will be able to click a button in their UCHealth mobile app and be directed to open their device's camera on a trigger point that will make a dog virtually come alive through AR in the waiting room. Caputo said the health system had designed its native app to be the one place for all mobile-based patient engagement. UCHealth plans to keep building AR experiences, in both iOS and Android, that also educate patients and improve overall connectivity with their health.

By keeping AR functionality integrated within the native UCHealth app, patients and others will be able to access messaging and other features right there, without having to toggle to other applications. Once AR technology is in place, UCHealth can go headlong into content development, amplifying patient stories and videos in the app. "I think too, the way we'll want to build it and the way we should build all these experiences, whether it's an experience in virtual reality or augmented reality, is on the basis of patient choice. We build all of our digital platforms to focus on what is best for the patient," said Caputo. Caputo explained that patient feedback on experiences, such as reports of dizziness or voiced preferences like musical choices, has been factored into UCHealth's VR experiences. UCHealth will also discontinue content based on patient feedback, Caputo said. For those thinking about implementing augmented reality into patient experiences, Caputo suggests adopting a "sprint" mentality.