With busy work schedules, Toronto physicians rarely have time to play video games, with consoles often winding up in storage units to use later. But Toronto surgeons may want to dust them off and brush up their skills, as it may prove beneficial to their performance in the operating room.
Doctors at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto are using the Xbox to help them virtually manipulate medical images during surgery.
They do it by using the Xbox Kinect – Microsoft’s answer to other entertainment systems which allows users to interact through movement rather than controllers. By manipulating images through hand gestures, doctors don’t have to leave the operating table, saving valuable time.
The improved efficiency in the operating room could lead to more operating rooms implementing similar console-technology, but Sunnybrook is believed to be the only hospital that uses the Kinect.
There’s a growing body of evidence suggesting video game technology are helpful in the workplace. According to a University of Colorado Business School study, businesses and organizations using video games in their training processes led to employees being happier, performing their jobs better and retaining more information.
