The world’s first “holographic doctor” who can be suspended into the living rooms of patients has been launched in Perth.

The cutting-edge technology, developed by community health provider Silver Chain in conjunction with Microsoft, will allow health care professionals to visit clients in holographic form, projected via a “HoloLens” headset.

Doctors will effectively “see through the eyes of the nurse” as the consultation takes place and they share access to clinical data such as blood pressure in real time.

Known as enhanced medical mixed reality, or EMMR, the technology will allow Silver Chain Group’s 650 clients receiving services through its virtual hospital to have remote interaction with health care professionals in their own homes.

Play Video The world’s first “holographic doctor” who can be suspended into the living rooms of patients has been launched in Perth. The West Australian Video The world’s first “holographic doctor” who can be suspended into the living rooms of patients has been launched in Perth.

Chief executive Christopher McGowan said it integrated “mixed reality” technology with real life and projected holograms, allowing more clients to stay at home rather than be transferred to hospital.

“They can have their consultations in the home and won’t have to travel for appointments and clinical specialists can remain in central locations while still providing personalised care and saving the health care system time and money,” Dr McGowan said.

“Our research indicates around 30 per cent of people don’t need to be in hospital and could be receiving the same safe, quality treatment at home where they feel more comfortable with the added benefit of freeing hospital beds for critically unwell patients.”

Older people living in their homes will get to use holograms and a virtual reality headset to “see” their doctor in their surgery rooms and vice versa.

Camera Icon Silver Chain Group Chief Executive Officer Dr Christopher McGowan wears the Microsoft HoloLens. Credit: The West Australian

“This new application will give clients greater confidence to live at home, with the knowledge that clinical staff can access specialists, as well as the ability to share real time consultations with family members anywhere in the world, via mixed reality capture technology,” he said.

EMMR is in the final stages of software development and will be tested in coming months before the technology is rolled out to Silver Chain clients on a bigger scale.