The training initiative, which has been in development and piloted over the past few years, addresses a critical and challenging area of healthcare education.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / November 6, 2025 / GigXR, Inc., a global leader in extended reality (XR) solutions for healthcare education, today announced that its HoloPatient application is being used to effectively train Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) - nurses specially trained to care for victims of sexual violence at the University of Michigan and will be used to further evaluate training potential for healthcare professionals at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CWFT) in London, in addition to their allied police and social care colleagues. This innovative use case, which will soon be enhanced by GigXR's new Conversational AI (CAI) module, is providing healthcare professionals with a safe, realistic, and repeatable way to gain exposure to the complex and sensitive scenarios of sexual violence and domestic abuse patient care, and the knowledge to support their colleagues who may also experience these issues.

The training initiative, which has been in development and piloted over the past few years, addresses a critical and challenging area of healthcare education. Early identification and sensitive care of individuals who have experienced sexual violence and domestic abuse is essential to promote immediate safety and well-being. It is estimated that in the UK, nearly 1 in 6 adults have experienced sexual assault, compared to 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the U.S. during their lifetime [2]. This technology addresses a crucial area of unmet clinical education, as the need for SANE-trained professionals is a global issue.

However, due to the complex nature of these presentations, it is extremely difficult to provide authentic, hands-on education to frontline professionals.

GigXR's HoloPatient application overcomes this barrier by creating life-like, hologram-based patients that can be projected into a physical space. The technology enables trainees to practice vital communication skills and clinical assessments with survivors in a completely safe and controlled environment. The ability to repeat and modify these training scenarios enables consistent and standardised responses, while promoting professional confidence and expertise.

"This use case goes beyond just teaching a skill; it's about preparing clinicians to identify and manage deeply sensitive situations with the empathy and competence that can be the difference between a positive and a traumatic experience for a survivor," said Dr. Ruby Woodward, Medical Education and Healthcare Specialist for GigXR. "The work with our partners at the University of Michigan and CWFT is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of XR in healthcare. With our new Conversational AI, we can take this a step further, allowing for truly dynamic, patient-led conversations that teach empathy and communication in a way that has never been possible before."

The initiative at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, supported by their hospital charity CW+, recently published a study on the potential of the training for healthcare professionals and community sector workers [3]. It was developed in close collaboration with Safelives to ensure the training was grounded in real-world expertise and trauma-informed care principles.

"The technology's ability to simulate a variety of scenarios is crucial," said Dr Charlotte Cohen, Consultant Physician and Domestic Abuse & Sexual Safety Lead at CWFT. "The input from key stakeholders ensures that the training is not just clinically sound, but also trauma-informed and survivor-centered. We are proud to be a part of a creative solution exploring how we can enable a new generation of frontline professionals to support survivors with the confidence and sensitivity that they deserve."

This survivor-centred approach was echoed by Jo Silver, Director of Quality and Innovation at SafeLives: "Healthcare is often the first door a victim walks through. It's essential that this training is rooted in the survivor's voice. Survivors are experts by experience; they know what victims need - sensitive, skilled, trauma-informed care that spots abuse quickly. We're proud to be working with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and GigXR on this immersive training research - it's a clear example of finding what works - and helping it happen, so we can make victims safer, sooner."

About GigXR: GigXR is a global leader in the development of extended reality (XR) applications for healthcare education and training. Its immersive learning platform provides realistic, interactive, and clinically accurate experiences that enable students and practitioners to acquire critical skills and knowledge in a risk-free environment. For more information, visit www.gigxr.com.

About Chelsea and Westminster: The Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest NHS organizations, employing 7,500 staff across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. Serving over 1.5 million people, the Trust provides outstanding comprehensive care, including the second-largest maternity service in England and world-renowned specialist services like its regional burns centre.

About SafeLives: SafeLives is the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse for everyone and for good by transforming the national response. The charity listens to survivors, placing their voices at the heart of their work to ensure families get the right help at the right time. Uniquely, SafeLives actively works to challenge and support perpetrators to change, holding them accountable for their actions.

References:

1. Office for National Statistics. Sexual offences in England and Wales overview. [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Sep 4]. Available from: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/sexualoffencesinenglandandwalesoverview/march2022

2. National Sexual Violence Resource Center. Statistics In-Depth. [Internet]. [cited 2025 Sep 4]. Available from: https://www.nsvrc.org/statistics/statistics-depth

3. Karunaratne D, Whittock J, Moore A, Dasigan K, Chevolleau J, Bartholomew B, Kelly N, Cohen CE. Exploring the Use of an Augmented Reality Device Learning Tool for Multidisciplinary Staff Training on Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence: Post intervention Qualitative Evaluation. JMIR Form Res. 2025;9.

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SOURCE: GigXR