Intervention for School Anxiety and Absenteeism in Children (ISAAC): Mixed-Method Feasibility Study of a Coach-Assisted, Parent-Focused Online Program.

In the ever-evolving landscape of medical advancement, augmented reality (AR) technologies have emerged as a new player. Although originally used for immersive experiences in entertainment, AR has made significant strides in medicine, particularly in the field of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery. AR exists on the extended reality (XR) spectrum, which includes virtual reality (VR), AR, and mixed reality (MR). Unlike VR, which immerses the user in a completely digital world, AR preserves and enhances the true environment. AR systems allow users to fuse digital and physical realities through superimposition of a software-generated image on the user’s view of the real world. They maintain orientation in a three-dimensional (3D) plane through a combination of global positioning systems, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. MR devices use sensors and spatial mapping technology to scan and interpret the true environment, allowing for a deeper integration of virtual and physical elements than AR commonly provides. Using these tools, users view a digital overlay in the form of virtual images, 3D models, textual annotations, labels, or animations displayed over the physical environment. As the user manipulates objects in the real world, the digital overlay adjusts accordingly, maintaining a synchronized view. Users can engage with AR through head-mounted devices (HMDs), smart glasses, handheld devices, endoscopes, microscopes, external projectors, and surgical consoles (). However, XR authorities may argue that the mixing of AR with other technologies such as external projectors and holographic overlays may not be considered true XR. In the following studies, most authors opted to use AR and certain elements of MR rather than VR because the end goal is to adopt these technologies in surgical practice. Users need to be able to maintain their view of the true environment, and thus, VR is not conducive. Summary of augmented reality display devices used in the studies reviewed.