Israeli scientists develop VR platform for uncovering errors in intensive care units

Israeli medical device company DecideVR has recently completed its virtual reality simulator for identifying decision-making errors in medical treatment in intensive care units (ICU). The platform was developed by Professor Alex Mintz, former head of the Computerized Decision Making Lab at Reichman University; Professor Nir Keren, a leading VR expert with experience working for NASA’s International Space Station, alongside input from senior medical doctors in Israel and the U.S.

The simulator detects and reviews errors and biases of medical doctors and interns, and provides a valuable feedback report to users in real-time, while an executive report is issued for managers. A beta version of the product is currently being piloted with medical professionals in the U.S. A study was conducted with a non-VR version of the platform in three hospitals in Switzerland, one in Canada, and a medical school in the U.S., and with more than 100 doctors and interns across hospitals in Israel.

DecideVR's product in action. Photo: DecideVR

The results pointed to numerous critical human errors in ICU simulations that can be reduced using the DecideVR simulator. DecideVR will embark in the next few months on a roadshow to raise funds. It is pursuing collaboration agreements with other simulation producers, hospitals and medical schools.

“DecideVR aims to be the most advanced simulator for ICU decisions. The platform currently focuses on cardiovascular ICU decisions where errors are intolerable, but DecideVR is also developing with the input of leading medical experts, simulations in variety of fields, such as oncology and neurology, and will offer variety of scenarios in a multitude of specializations and sub-specialization in response to a growing need of hospitals, and medical schools, to significantly reduce human errors in intensive care units. Another version of the simulator is being developed for nurses," said Mintz.