Virtual reality-based medical training and assessment: The multidisciplinary relationship between clinicians,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Patient Safety Innovations

Background:

• Growing emphasis on patient safety and evidence-based medical education fuels interest in virtual reality (VR) for training.
• Developing effective VR systems necessitates interdisciplinary collaboration with aligned objectives.
• Balancing technological advancement with training incorporation and evaluation is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate establishing constructive stakeholder relationships for developing effective VR medical training systems.
• To provide insights into fostering collaboration between technology developers and medical professionals.

Main Methods:

• Case study approach examining two research projects focused on VR training for spinal anaesthesia.
• Evaluation of VR-based training system development and implementation.

Main Results:

• Close stakeholder relationships are fostered by clinician champions driving research.
• Engaging clinicians and educators in iterative prototype design is key to successful VR system development.
• The case study highlights the importance of continuous clinician and educator involvement.

Conclusions:

• Clinicians and educators should actively lead VR training system development as innovation champions.
• System developers must ensure constructive participation from clinicians and educators.
• Collaborative development is essential for creating usable and effective VR medical training tools.