- For the first time, Fresenius Medical Care develops and utilizes “Augmented Reality” (AR) to train medical staff in Intensive Care Units (ICUs)
- The new training application for ICU staff combines digital learning elements with real-life training on the Fresenius Medical Care Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy system
- This learning experience reinforces initial training, a supplement to support new staff amidst the high fluctuation of specialists in intensive care nursing
Fresenius Medical Care (FME), the world’s leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, launches a new “Augmented Reality” (AR) application to make learning easier for nursing staff in Kidney Replacement Therapy in Intensive Care Units. The AR glasses, in combination with digital learning modules, allow nursing staff to learn how to use acute dialysis machines on site within the intensive care wards. The glasses stream visual and acoustic recordings as users interact with the dialysis machine, providing professionals with an immersive learning experience.
“We have a dedicated focus on leveraging advanced technology to develop and provide the most innovative technologies, engineered to facilitate and simplify the learning process. Our innovative solution is designed to ensure that nursing staff, particularly those in Intensive Care Units, are equipped with the knowledge needed to provide high-quality and exceptional patient care,” says Dr. Katarzyna Mazur-Hofsäß, member of the Management Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG and responsible for Care Enablement, Fresenius Medical Care’s MedTech segment.
The AR glasses allow for self-guided, on-demand education for critical care professionals. For example, users train how to set up the machine, how to activate the citrate pump or how to handle several system components through the AR training. The AR glasses provide access to the Augmented Reality learning program Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR, which Fresenius Medical Care presented today at the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM) in Brussels.
The AR training application, Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR, will be launched in select markets as early as Q2 2024 and subsequently made available to further countries in the company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as Asia Pacific regions. A limited launch of the multiFiltratePRO will take place in the United States later this year. Upon successful completion of the Safety of Regional Citrate Anticoagulation (SARCA) trial, a full launch of the multiFiltratePRO with the Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR learning experience is planned for 2025.
Nursing shortages in the ICU, in particular high staff turnover rates and staff taking on new tasks at short notice, are a significant concern in hospitals and healthcare systems worldwide. This training approach aims to address the challenges the industry is currently facing and to support the increasing demand for flexible, high-quality ongoing education to reinforce basic training.
Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR has been specifically developed for use with the multiFiltratePRO, Fresenius Medical Care’s Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy system. Today, the multiFiltratePRO is used in more than 40 countries globally.
Link to the Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR page on the FME website: Ready4 multiFiltratePRO AR
Source & Image Credit: Fresenius Medical Care
