Realidade virtual para saúde no Brasil: conceitos, desafios e oportunidades / Virtual reality for health care in Brazil: concepts, challenges and opportunities

A Realidade Virtual é uma área tipicamente multidisciplinar que envolve conceitos provenientes das Engenharias, Computação, Física, Artes e também da área específica da aplicação à qual ela se destina. Por permitir uma interação humano-computador mais natural em ambiente tridimensional (3D) e possibilitar a reprodução de situações reais, torna-se um recurso de amplo potencial para a área da saúde. Este artigo aborda conceitos, desafios e oportunidades de aplicações de Realidade Virtual na área de saúde no Brasil, apresentando um estudo sobre as pesquisas na área e aplicações desenvolvidas. A análise da situação atual mostra que há vários grupos brasileiros de pesquisa desenvolvendo aplicações com grande diversidade de assuntos, contemplando principalmente as áreas de treinamento e educação. A partir da análise conduzida, verifica-se que ainda há vários desafios a serem superados a fim de que as aplicações de Realidade Virtual sejam incluídas na rotina dos profissionais da área de saúde. Se por um lado tais desafios retardam o uso efetivo desta tecnologia na prática, por outro constituem oportunidades ímpares de pesquisa e desenvolvimento, conforme é destacado na conclusão deste artigo.

Virtual Reality (VR) is a typically multidisciplinary field which involves concepts from Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Arts as well as concepts from the specific application field. Because VR allows a more natural human-computer interaction in three-dimensional environments and enables the reproduction of real situations, it becomes a resource of wide potential for healthcare field. This paper discusses concepts, challenges and opportunities of Virtual Reality applications for healthcare in Brazil, by presenting a study about researches in the area and developed applications. The analysis of the current situation shows that there are various Brazilian research groups developing applications considering great diversity of subjects, covering mainly training and education area. This analysis shows that there are still many challenges to be overcome so that applications using Virtual Reality can be included in the routine of healthcare professionals. On one hand these challenges hinder the effective use of technology in  practice, on the other they open new opportunities for research and development,   as is highlighted in the conclusion of this paper.

Metodología de construcción de objetos de aprendizaje para la enseñanza de anatomía humana en cursos integrados / Methodology to construct learning object for teaching human anatomy in integrated courses

El presente trabajo, es el desarrollo de un Objeto de Aprendizaje sobre la Web, para la enseñanza de la Anatomía Humana, por parte de estudiantes de la Escuela de Medicina en la Universidad Austral de Chile. El desarrollo y uso de un objeto de aprendizaje para la comprensión del hígado humano, es más eficiente que en la forma de un clásico curso lineal, porque es compatible con los nuevos paradigmas educacionales, donde el aprendiz construye su propio conocimiento. Los objetos de aprendizaje permiten el aprendizaje significativo por el uso de una metodología dinámica, probando que esta forma de enseñanza es más eficiente que la enseñanza sin recursos multimediales. El desarrollo del objeto de aprendizaje, fue hecho con la participación de estudiantes de primer año de la Carrera Medicina. Esta participación se realizó a través de una lista de difusión. Finalmente, se realizó la experiencia pedagógica a los alumnos que participaron en la comunidad virtual.

The present work, is a development of a Learning Object on the Web, for the learning of Human Anatomy for students of medicine career in the Universidad Austral de Chile. The development and use of learning object aid to understand the liver is more efficient that the linear classic way, because is compatible with the new educational paradigms, where the students build the own knowledge. The learning object allows the significance learning by using a dynamic methodology, proving this way that the teaching is better that teaching without multimedia resources. he development of the learning object, was made with the participation of the students of the first grade of the medicine school. They used a emails list to discuss about. Additionally was formed a virtual community. Finally a survey was applied to virtual community.

An interactive tool for the human anatomy laboratory / Una Herramienta Interactiva para el Laboratorio de Anatomía Humana

Hasta hoy, diferentes estudios han tratado de determinar la manera más efectiva de aprender Anatomía: algunos autores apoyan el método tradicional, otros prefieren el uso de computadores y algunos creen en la integración de ambos. En nuestra Escuela de Medicina utilizamos el método tradicional y el uso de computadores, así hemos desarrollado un programa multimedia que tiene por objetivo optimizar la disección como herramienta de aprendizaje. Este programa multimedia de apoyo está adaptado al manual de disecciones que es utilizado durante el curso. El programa cuenta con 6 módulos, de 5 regiones cada uno, en los que se incluyen: imágenes fotográficas y diagramas de las regiones, información acerca de las estructuras que deben ser identificadas, radiografías, correlaciones clínicas y autoevaluaciones.

A multimedia program has been developed at the Departament of Human Anatomy, Medicine School of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. It offers an alternative to support the traditional laboratory practice and resolve, during the dissection, the most common problems that we have already identify in our students. Some features of this program are: photography's, diagrams, information about the structures, clinical correlation and tests. All this tools were integrated in a software using Macromedia Flash. The final result is a multimedia program that will be used by students during their laboratory practice. At present, we are making a study to determine the effect that is produced in the development of the students in the anatomy lab.

The impact of multimedia on teaching tropical medicine

This study evaluated the impact of multimedia in the information transfer of subjects specific to Tropical Diseases - Tetanus and Snake Envenoming. we evaluated the autonomous learning process of 76 fourth-year medical students at Botucatu School of Medicine of UNESP, using printed matter, video, and CD-ROM. The students were submitted to a specific test, which was repeated approximately one week later. They were divided into groups and received a kit containing a textbook, a video, and a CD-ROM. These materials were used for out-of-class study. Before the second test, the students gave a seminar, where they discussed and resolved their doubts with their professor. The results of the first test showed averages between 4.27±1.41 and 6,41±1.61. The second test, given after the seminar, presented averages that increased to 8.41±0.76 and 9.52±0.42, significance alfa = 5 per cent. At the end of the course, the students answered a questionnarie, which evaluated the material quality and acquired knowledge. The students concluded that multimedia was a more efficient and quick means for knowledge building than traditional teaching materials. They said that the active participation and interactivity with the CD-ROM were the major differences. The authors continue to study the associated use of printed matter, video, and CD-ROM as a faster alternative to the traditional method of information transfer, which may be of help in the knowledge building process in medical education.