Abstract
BackgroundVirtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have recently become popular research themes. However, there are no published bibliometric reports that have analyzed the corresponding scientific literature in relation to the application of these technologies in medicine.ObjectiveWe used a bibliometric approach to identify and analyze the scientific literature on VR and AR research in medicine, revealing the popular research topics, key authors, scientific institutions, countries, and journals. We further aimed to capture and describe the themes and medical conditions most commonly investigated by VR and AR research.MethodsThe Web of Science electronic database was searched to identify relevant papers on VR research in medicine. Basic publication and citation data were acquired using the “Analyze” and “Create Citation Report” functions of the database. Complete bibliographic data were exported to VOSviewer and Bibliometrix, dedicated bibliometric software packages, for further analyses. Visualization maps were generated to illustrate the recurring keywords and words mentioned in the titles and abstracts.ResultsThe analysis was based on data from 8399 papers. Major research themes were diagnostic and surgical procedures, as well as rehabilitation. Commonly studied medical conditions were pain, stroke, anxiety, depression, fear, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. Overall, contributions to the literature were globally distributed with heaviest contributions from the United States and United Kingdom. Studies from more clinically related research areas such as surgery, psychology, neurosciences, and rehabilitation had higher average numbers of citations than studies from computer sciences and engineering.ConclusionsThe conducted bibliometric analysis unequivocally reveals the versatile emerging applications of VR and AR in medicine. With the further maturation of the technology and improved accessibility in countries where VR and AR research is strong, we expect it to have a marked impact on clinical practice and in the life of patients.
Highlights
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that immerses the user in a synthetic 3-dimensional (3D) environment via wearable screens in the form of VR headsets, while closely related augmented reality (AR) uses elements of VR and superimposes them on to the real-world environment in the form of a live video displayed on the screen of an electronic device [1]
Presence and interaction are related to the individual perception of being connected to the environment and the ability to act within the environment and receive feedback and reaction
The Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database was searched on September 16, 2020 and queried with the following search string: TOPIC: (“virtual reality*” OR “augmented reality*” OR “mixed reality*” OR “computer-mediated reality*”) AND TOPIC:
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that immerses the user in a synthetic 3-dimensional (3D) environment via wearable screens in the form of VR headsets, while closely related augmented reality (AR) uses elements of VR and superimposes them on to the real-world environment in the form of a live video displayed on the screen of an electronic device [1]. VR is a concept that has been developing over the last 50 years, whereas AR is a relatively new concept Both are aimed at providing an experience for the users that engages their visual and auditory senses by creating an illusion of the surroundings [2,3]. Immersion is dependent on the technology used; it can be a head-mounted device, concave or 3D projection, or video where the user is the protagonist. There are no published bibliometric reports that have analyzed the corresponding scientific literature in relation to the application of these technologies in medicine
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