Beyond the headset: How immersive technology is reshaping Veteran care
Event highlights how virtual reality is being used in Veteran care
Veterans at Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center recently had the opportunity to experience a new kind of care that supports their health and wellness: immersive technology. The D.C. VAMC hosted Immersive Demo Day, an event where Veterans could experience how immersive technologies can be another option in their healthcare.
Veterans explored virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality tools alongside active duty service members, community members and VA staff. Together, these technologies, known as extended reality (XR), are helping open new pathways for care across mental health, pain management and physical rehabilitation.
Veterans tested immersive tools, including VR headsets and interactive applications that can help promote relaxation, reduce pain perception and support overall wellbeing. These technologies are being explored and used widely, including for neurological risk assessment, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction recovery, physical and recreational therapy, and more.
One Veteran said, “It was great. It was what I needed. I have PTSD, and waterfalls really help me. If I had more time, I would be here all day.”
Discovering what is possible
What XR offers Veterans is choice. During Immersive Demo Day, Veterans were able to experience, in real time, what it could mean for their own healthcare. Having more options that fit their specific care needs can make all the difference in a Veteran’s healing journey.
For example, during Immersive Demo Day, some Veterans explored AR in peaceful nature settings, while others gravitated toward active applications that sharpened focus and got them moving. It was the wide range of options, flexibility and ability to find the right fit that resonated with participants throughout the day.
That sense of ease and familiarity is exactly what immersive tools can offer. They meet Veterans where they are, providing support that feels natural rather than clinical.
For many Veterans, the day was as much about discovery as it was about experience. They came away with a clearer sense of how valuable XR technology can fit into their daily lives, offering new ways to manage symptoms, provide relief or a new environment and add another layer of support alongside the care they already receive at VA.
Expanding awareness and future use
Immersive Demo Day helped Veterans not only in making the demonstrations possible, but also in bringing together providers and program leaders to talk about how XR can continue to grow across VA, ensuring the technology will continue to meet Veterans’ needs.
VA leaders emphasized that revolutionary care options like immersive technology are part of VA’s effort to give Veterans more options in how they receive care.
“At Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center, our mission is to provide world-class care to every Veteran we serve,” said Ellesha McCray, acting medical center director. “Our goal is to ensure that transformational tools like XR not only come through our doors but become a normal part of the care we deliver in this community.”
Many VA medical centers across the country already use immersive tools, and expansion continues as more sites adopt XR for Veteran care. VA Immersive, a national program advancing the use of immersive technology in healthcare, supports this growth by helping facilities deploy technology, explore its use across multiple conditions, train staff and gather Veteran feedback to strengthen future use and their overall experience with these tools.
Technology that puts Veterans first
“Immersive technologies like virtual reality are opening new possibilities for how we support Veterans’ physical and mental health,” said Dr. Anne Lord Bailey, executive director of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Strategic Initiatives Lab. “Events like this allow us to gather real-time feedback and continue shaping them to better fit the needs that are meaningful, accessible and Veteran-centered.”
VA has deployed immersive technologies across more than 100 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics nationwide, supporting almost 8,000 Veteran immersive experiences. These tools offer Veterans new possibilities for managing health conditions and improving wellbeing.
To learn more about VA’s immersive technology initiatives, visit VA Immersive.
