Augmented reality (AR) is gaining prominence in a wide range of industries. Everything from autonomous cars, video games, healthcare products, and space programs has benefited significantly from AR capabilities.
Coined in the 1990s by Boeing researcher Thomas P Caudell, the term “augmented reality” refers to the software systems that overlay digital information onto physical objects. This allows for the integration of virtual objects, i.e, images, texts, and effects, to enhance the real-world experience of users.
Unlike virtual reality (VR), which occurs exclusively in virtual environments, augmented reality interacts with the physical world and superimposes virtual, visual information on top it, allowing us to experience our environments in a more dynamic and engaging way.
Augmented reality in healthcare is paving a new way for medical professionals to learn, deliver personalized care, and save lives. The potential of AR is immense and far-reaching. Here are some key areas in healthcare that AR is already making a huge difference, and what that means for your business
AR in Telemedicine
Telemedicine has become a mainstay of modern healthcare delivery since it’s accelerated adoption in 2020.
Recent surveys show that nearly 40% of adults have used telehealth services in 2025, while over three-quarters of physicians who use telemedicine report doing so at least weekly in clinical practice. These usage patterns highlight how virtual care has integrated into everyday healthcare rather than remaining an occasional alternative.
Augmented reality in healthcare is now pushing telemedicine beyond traditional video consultations by adding real-time visual context and interactive guidance. Instead of relying solely on two-dimensional screens, clinicians can use healthcare AR to overlay digital information onto physical environments, enabling more precise assessments and clearer communication during remote care.
Key ways AR in healthcare is strengthening telemedicine include:
Enhanced remote clinical guidance: AR tools allow remote specialists to share real-time visual cues and annotations during consultations or complex procedures. This helps local clinicians perform assessments or interventions with greater confidence and accuracy.
Improved assessment and visualization: AR can superimpose 3D anatomical models or visual data onto a patient’s body or environment, making virtual consultations more informative. This supports clinicians in evaluating conditions that are normally hard to assess through video alone.
Immersive training and education: AR enhances remote training for healthcare professionals by simulating clinical scenarios or guiding procedural skills. This leads to better preparedness for both virtual and in-person care without the need for travel or physical resources.
Patient engagement and self-management: Patients can benefit from AR interfaces that explain conditions, treatments, or rehabilitation exercises in visually intuitive ways. This can improve adherence to care plans and empower patients to take a more active role in their health.
As telemedicine continues to mature, AR is helping transform virtual care into a more immersive, collaborative, and clinically effective experience. By enhancing how clinicians assess, communicate, and guide care remotely, AR supports higher-quality outcomes while reinforcing telemedicine’s role as a long-term component of modern healthcare systems.
AR in Surgery
According to the Global Surgery 2030 Report by Lancet Commission, they estimated that about 5 billion people around the world lack access to safe and affordable surgery. While medical technologies have advanced tremendously over the past decade, there's still a lot of room for improvement.
Prior to surgery, surgeons usually study grayscale images, sometimes hundreds of them, to create a visual estimation of patient anatomy. However, committing these images to memory and recalling them in the operating theater can be difficult. This led Medivis, a medical device company founded by a team of doctors and engineers to explore solutions that allow doctors to see what’s going on inside a patient’s body in real-time, and better visualize and plan for surgical procedures.
At the Cleveland Clinic, an academic medical center based in Ohio, a team of 11 surgeons in 2017 successfully carried out a facial transplant on a woman named Katie Stubblefield (the youngest ever recipient of facial transplant in the U.S.) with the aid of AR technology.
Dr. Brian Gastman, who led the team, describes AR's role in the procedures:
"What we were able to do is superimpose images onto her (Katie) using a HoloLens. This is a device you can wear on your head. And it allows the surgeon and the physician, and the caregivers, to still see the environment around them, including Katie. But what we're able to do is project different images onto Katie, different scenarios, say, of the different types of cranial structures, maybe how much they wanted to take or what they didn't want to take. So it allowed the physicians to look at different scenarios on the fly."
Benefits of AR in Surgery
Here are some of the key benefits augmented reality brings into the operating room:
Improved anatomical visualization: AR allows surgeons to overlay 3D reconstructions of organs, vessels, and bone structures directly onto the patient, improving spatial awareness and reducing reliance on memory during complex procedures.
More precise surgical planning and execution: By visualizing multiple surgical scenarios in real time, surgeons can refine incision paths, determine margins, and anticipate complications before and during the operation.
Reduced operating time and error risk: Clear visual guidance helps streamline decision-making during surgery, which can shorten procedure times and lower the likelihood of errors caused by misinterpretation of imaging data.
Enhanced team collaboration in the operating room: AR enables multiple clinicians to view the same overlaid information simultaneously, improving communication between surgeons, anesthesiologists, and supporting staff.
The Risks of AR in Surgery
Despite its promise, AR in surgery introduces new considerations that must be carefully managed. One of the primary risks is overreliance on digital overlays, particularly if imaging data is misaligned or outdated. Even small inaccuracies in registration between virtual models and real anatomy can lead to incorrect decisions if not cross-checked against traditional visual and tactile cues.
There are also technical and human-factor risks, including device latency, visual clutter, and cognitive overload. Wearing head-mounted displays for extended periods can cause fatigue or distraction, especially in long or high-pressure procedures. In addition, inconsistent user training may result in uneven outcomes across surgical teams.
These risks can be mitigated through rigorous validation, structured training, and phased adoption. Surgical teams benefit from standardized onboarding programs, simulation-based practice, and clear protocols that treat AR as a decision-support tool rather than a replacement for clinical judgment.
AR in Medical Training
Institutions are embracing cutting-edge technologies such as AR in healthcare in a bid to transform medical education and training. At the Royal College of Surgeons in London, doctors are exploring AR-based 3D holograms and other software tools to replace cadaver-based training.
Traditional cadaver-based training barely provided students in the theater to attain hands-on training with surgical procedures, making learning difficult and disengaging. With AR technologies, students can learn at their own pace, repeat procedure until it sinks in, and gain real-time access to the latest surgical technique. This not only helps students learn in more engaging ways but also helps reduce costs and democratizes access to training.
AR for Equipment Training, Demos and Sales Coaching
Medical companies operate in an environment where product innovation cycles are accelerating and equipment is becoming increasingly software-driven. Traditional, in-person training and conference-based demos alone are no longer enough to keep clinicians and sales teams up to date across distributed healthcare systems.
Augmented reality enables interactive, life-size visualizations of complex medical equipment, allowing clinicians, technicians, and sales teams to explore components, workflows, and upgrades in a guided, hands-on format. These experiences help users understand how devices function in real clinical environments, improving confidence and reducing friction during adoption.
For sales teams, AR enhances product demos and coaching by replacing static presentations with immersive experiences that can be delivered remotely. Sales representatives can walk buyers through key features, demonstrate software updates, and tailor demos to specific clinical use cases, helping standardize messaging and shorten sales cycles.
The Future of Augmented Reality in Medicine & Healthcare
As augmented reality hardware becomes more affordable and accessible, its role in healthcare continues to expand. AR is moving beyond early experimentation into practical, scalable use cases that support clinicians, researchers, and patients.
Areas where AR adoption is gaining momentum include:
Clinical practice and surgical support, improving visualization, planning, and real-time guidance
Medical training and education, enabling hands-on learning without physical equipment or risk to patients
Patient education and engagement, helping patients better understand conditions and treatment plans
Clinical research and trials, supporting visualization of complex data and protocols
Pharmacy and drug design, assisting with molecular visualization and simulation
Therapeutic and rehabilitation applications, including emerging use cases in neuropsychological care
As healthcare organizations continue to invest in digital transformation, AR is positioned to become a foundational technology that enhances efficiency, understanding, and outcomes across the care continuum.
How to Introduce AR in Healthcare Business
Augmented reality is no longer an emerging concept in healthcare; it is a practical tool that supports training, collaboration, and clinical decision-making across the industry. When introduced thoughtfully, AR can improve knowledge transfer, reduce complexity, and help teams adopt new technologies with greater confidence.
Healthcare businesses looking to explore AR should start with focused use cases such as equipment training, clinical education, or remote collaboration, then scale based on impact and adoption. CGS Immersive makes this process accessible by enabling healthcare organizations to deploy AR training and experiences without heavy technical overhead, helping teams test, learn, and evolve at their own pace.
If you are ready to explore how AR training can support your healthcare initiatives, CGS Immersive provides the tools and expertise to help you get started.
Resources
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