When building General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., designers used virtual reality technologies to gain feedback from medical experts, according to an article on the Guideon website.

Virtual mock-ups are key to understanding the needs of departments and the coordination with the other spaces and equipment. 

Medical professionals were able to comment on locations of medical gas outlets, door locations and sizes, and numerous other design decisions that could impact comfort and operation in the new space.

GLWACH Commander Col. Aaron Pitney toured the physical and virtual mock-ups and said it was helpful to understand — especially from the patient’s perspective — how people will move through the hospital for outpatient care, the article said.

VR technology is one of the solutions transforming healthcare designers’ approach to operating room (OR) design, for instance. It allows for immediate experiences and on-demand reconfigurations at significantly lower costs than a physical mock-up, according to a blog on the Healthcare Facilities website.

Read the full Guideon article.