Virtual reality is an exciting new medical implement.

And Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, continues to explore its effectiveness. pioneer new uses–and share their knowledge with the community.

In March 2018, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, hosted the first-ever Virtual Medicine conference, which was nothing short of mind-blowing!

This week, Dr. Brandon Birckhead, Co-Director of the Virtual Medicine Conference, gave us a look inside the event–and a preview of the 2019 edition, which is just about to happen!

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For two days during the inaugural 2018 conference, attendees from 13 countries explored different aspects of the use of VR and AR in medicine.

Just a few of the areas speakers addressed: VR in phobia treatment, pain management and physician training.  Here’s Cedars-Sinai’s link to their videotaped talks.

(We had the honor of covering the conference, which was live-streamed in virtual reality.  Here is a link to our coverage.)

With Virtual Medicine 2019 coming up, Dr. Birckhead talked about his experiences planning the inaugural conference, shared some of Cedars-Sinai’s research on the use of VR in medicine, and offered a preview of this year’s conference.

(UPDATE: Virtual Medicine 2019 has sold out.  Here is the link on which the conference was live-streamed last year  We haven’t yet heard whether it will be live-streamed on March 27th and 28th.)

On this edition of Over Coffee®, you will hear:

• What the experience of planning Cedars-Sinai’s first “Virtual Medicine” Conference was like;

• A preview of Dr. Birckhead’s upcoming talk at the 2019 conference;

• One application of a VR program in the medical field that may not have occurred to you (but makes perfect sense!);

• A summary of Cedars-Sinai’s recent research findings on the use of VR in pain management;

• A preview of the sessions scheduled for Cedars-Sinai’s 2019 “Virtual Medicine” conference;

• Dr. Birckhead’s favorite takeaways from last year’s “Virtual Medicine” conference.

And if you can’t attend, but would like to know more, check out the conference webpage on March 27th and 28th!  They live-streamed in virtual reality in 2018.  While arrangements are still being finalized, there’s a chance they might do that again!