Theatres Transformation Team set to trial new mixed reality headsets at Kendal hospital

New ‘mixed reality’ technology will be trialled by the Trust’s Theatres Transformation Team on hospital wards at Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal to help improve communication between senior clinicians on the acute sites and WGH.

The ‘Microsoft HoloLens 2’ trial will start on Monday 22 March on Ward 7 at WGH and will initially last for a month. As the Kendal site is increasingly being used for surgery, the Theatres Team believes the HoloLens technology will help to facilitate more timely assessments of patients and improve the patient experience.

By wearing the Microsoft HoloLens - a self-contained computer headset – clinicians from other sites, such as the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, can assess patients ‘remotely’ and without the need to visit the WGH site.

The HoloLens enables the clinician to see the patient via Microsoft Teams and they can ask any questions though the device. The device sends a secure live video-feed to a computer screen in a room away from the ward, allowing healthcare professionals who would normally be physically present for the consultation to see everything that the ward staff with the patients can see.

HoloLens enables the wearer to interact with ‘holograms’ made visible through the headset using just gestures and voice, which means clinicians outside the ward can also share medical notes, scans and x-rays via the headset.

Microsoft describes the HoloLens device as mixed reality technology which uses multiple sensors, advanced optics and holographic processing to meld seamlessly with its environment. The holograms can be used to display information, blend with the real world, or even simulate a virtual world.

Positive benefits of using the HoloLens in the hospital setting are likely to include the following:

• Helps to identify and treat patients whose health may be deteriorating.
• Assists with early interventions and prevents health problems from escalating.
• Supports positive patient outcomes.
• Useful for out-of-hours care and assessments.
• Reviewing patients remotely prior to any transfers.
• Can help to reduce delays and length of stay for patients.
• Increases the safety of care.
• As the Trust covers a large geographical area and patients can be assessed remotely, the HoloLens can help to reduce travel time and stress for colleagues.

The HoloLens technology is also being used by nursing staff at Kendal Care Home when they are carrying out their daily ward rounds with residents. HoloLens technology was introduced to the care home in October 2020 and has proved to be very useful for assessing patients who can’t leave their beds.

Kendal Care Home staff are working closely with local GPs to deliver this service, sponsored and supported by Kendal Integrated Care Community (ICC) and UHMBT, and enabled by the leadership of Dr Colin Brown, Chief Clinical Information Officer at UHMBT. The Trust has worked with care home staff to ensure they are trained and know how to use and clean the headset in the care home setting.

Danny Bakey, Theatres Transformation Lead for UHMBT, said: “We look forward to increasing the numbers of patients receiving treatment at the Kendal site and using the HoloLens to improve quality of care.

“Some of our clinicians have already engaged with the HoloLens technology and can see the potential benefits for patient care and assessments.

“We will always make sure that patients are aware of the HoloLens technology and that they are happy with it being used for any assessments. We will also seek feedback from colleagues, patients and families about the HoloLens.

“We are making a significant investment in Theatres at Kendal and the HoloLens could play an important part in this transformation.”

Deepak Herlekar, Tim Miller and Mahesh Kumar are the Clinical Leads for the HoloLens trial.