A Virtual Reality Curriculum for Pediatric Residents Decreases Rates of Influenza Vaccine Refusal

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Influenza vaccine hesitancy is prevalent in primary care.
• Physicians often struggle with discussing vaccine hesitancy, impacting caregiver decisions.
• Limited research exists on communication training to reduce vaccination refusal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an immersive virtual reality (VR) curriculum for teaching pediatric residents communication skills regarding influenza vaccine hesitancy.
• To assess the impact of VR-based training on influenza vaccine refusal rates.

Main Methods:

• A pilot VR curriculum with 3 simulations was developed for pediatric residents.
• Participants were randomized into an intervention (VR curriculum) or control group.
• Vaccine refusal rates were compared between groups 3 months post-curriculum.

Main Results:

• Pediatric residents in the intervention group showed a decrease in influenza vaccination refusal rates for children aged 6-59 months (27.8% vs. 37.1%).
• The difference in refusal rates between the intervention and control groups was statistically significant (P = .03).

Conclusions:

• Immersive virtual reality presents a promising method for enhancing medical trainees' communication skills.
• Further investigation in larger, multi-site trials is warranted to validate these findings.