Most of us have only ever used a virtual reality headset for entertainment. Which – don’t get me wrong – is very cool. But there is so much more to be learned and gained from VR technology. In fact, we’re seeing an explosion of VR technology being used for a wide variety of use cases in healthcare.
BehaVR recently sent me a demo version of their VR solution for healthcare that I could test and review for you.
What is BehaVR?
BehaVR is a fairly new company, so you might not have heard of them. After working for several years in the healthcare technology industry, founder Aaron Gani recognized a crucial gap between knowledge, tools, and activation of healthy behavior and decided that VR could close that gap. BehaVR was born in 2016, with the mission to “educate, motivate, and activate people to achieve their best health”… using virtual reality technology of course. They use a variety of VR programs for a variety of issues. The one I got to experience first-hand was NurtureVR.
NurtureVR
NurtureVR is a 14-week virtual reality program that takes soon-to-be moms through the last bit of pregnancy, through the birthing experience, and into the postpartum period. It only launched in the fall of last year (which means they’re still in the learning/feedback stage), but let me tell you: it’s the real deal.
Before giving birth, women are (generally speaking) very well taken care of. But the moment they leave the hospital, many feel that they are left completely on their own. OB’s are often lacking the resources needed to help struggling moms. Despite the fact that postpartum depression is common and the risks associated with it are devastating, many moms never get the help they need.
BehaVR is working hard to change all that. With this interactive VR program, future moms can get educated about their baby, the changes happening in their bodies, and how to handle the physical, emotional, and mental stress during pregnancy and postpartum.
My Review: The Pros
First of all, it’s intuitive. I was worried about the set-up, because I’m not the most tech-savvy person you’ll come across, but this was incredibly simple.
Portability. We traveled to my parents’ house for a week, and I was able to easily pack it up and bring it with me.
During one of my first sessions, I sat in the virtual doctor’s office lobby and watched a video on a virtual tv. I thought to myself, “Do I really need to be doing this on a VR headset? What’s the difference between this and watching it on my real tv?” But I quickly recognized the difference. As soon as I put my headset on, the rest of the world completely disappeared around me. There were no toys on the floor or bills on the counter to remind me that I only had 30 minutes until my 10-month-old would wake up and my hour of productivity would go down the drain. When I was in the virtual doctor’s office, I was in the zone. I was able to pay attention and savor all of the information in the video.
Mindfulness sessions were my favorite, and the beach was my favorite place to practice them. There are many options (lakes, forests, a city-scape), but that beach and the sound of those soft waves… My husband could always tell when I was doing a mindfulness session because he could visibly see how relaxed I was as I sat on our couch.
Okay, I have two favorites. During each week’s session, you get to go inside your virtual tummy with your virtual baby! It’s crazy cool. You can see the umbilical cord attached to the placenta, feeding her! While you are there with your little one, you learn about how she is developing that week, what she is experiencing. It left me wanting more. (Side Note: you can also do your mindfulness sessions here!)
It’s educational. I learned so much that I wish I had known when I was pregnant. For instance: Stress can cause a number of long-term issues for both you and your baby. And chocolate – yes, I said chocolate! – helps to reduce stress. So yeah, chocolate can be an important part of a healthy pregnancy. Thank BehaVR for that little nugget.
My Review: The Cons
If you get sick on roller-coasters, or if you’re dealing with morning sickness, you may want to consider how the VR will impact you. For VR, it’s generally super mild, but it’s still VR and can take some getting used to.
You need a good wifi connection. When I took the device to my parents’ house (see my above comment on portability), the device couldn’t connect to their often-sketchy internet.
To be honest, I didn’t love any of the mindfulness guides’ voices. I know that’s totally subjective, but when I’m doing a mindfulness exercise I want it to feel natural. Like a calm conversation. Instead, I felt like one was a forced-calm, and the others weren’t calm at all.
I also wished the mindfulness guides wouldn’t talk so much. What they said was great. It just felt like too much. Or maybe I just wanted the sessions to be longer? Deep down, I think I just wanted to listen to the waves gently crashing on my virtual beach, with little interruptions every once in a while to make sure I’m doing it right.
Another thing is that I’m not sure how well I’d do with some of the during-labor exercises which I obviously couldn’t try while in labor. During those exercises, you’re supposed to paint little virtual ceramics, but I can’t imagine being able – or wanting – to focus on something like that in those moments. Again, this may just be a personality thing. But it’s a thing nonetheless.
How Do I Get One?
Right now, BehaVR is working through hospital systems, so there’s not an option for direct-to-consumer purchases. BUT there is good news. They are looking at moving toward a B2C model. Which means that sometime in the future, you and your family could put one on your baby shower registry. Yay! To stay posted, make sure you give them a follow on Twitter: @BehaVR_aI. If you’re a healthcare organization interested in NurtureVR, check out their website for more info.
Overall: It’s a Game-Changer
The fact that something as sophisticated and focused as NurtureVR exists makes me optimistic about the future of maternal healthcare. Though it’s still in its beginning stages and improvements can be made, the program is headed in the right direction. It’s going to bring about great and necessary changes to the industry. Moms deserve better, more attentive care. Especially postpartum. And I’m grateful to people like those working at BehaVR for making it happen. It’s going to make a world of difference.
