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Updated: Dec 31, 2025
Virtual Reality Experiments with Physiological Measures
Published on: August 29, 2018
The Physical-Virtual Patient Simulator: A Physical Human Form With Virtual Appearance and Behavior
Salam Daher1, Jason Hochreiter, Ryan Schubert
1From the College of Nursing at the University of Central Florida (S.D., L.G., M.A., D.A.D., G.F.W.), Institute for Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida (S.D., J.H., R.S., G.F.W.); and Department of Medical Education at the University of Central Florida (J.C.), Orlando, FL.
The new Physical-Virtual Patient Simulator (PVPS) offers realistic multisensory cues for medical training. Nurse practitioner students found the PVPS easy to use and valuable for diagnosing simulated pediatric cases.
Area of Science:
- Medical Simulation
- Healthcare Education Technology
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Traditional patient simulators lack realistic multisensory feedback.
- Virtual patients offer flexibility but lack tangible interaction.
- A novel approach is needed to bridge the gap between physical and virtual simulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate the Physical-Virtual Patient Simulator (PVPS).
- To assess the realism and usability of the PVPS for healthcare training.
- To explore the effectiveness of PVPS multisensory cues in diagnostic scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Developed the Physical-Virtual Patient Simulator (PVPS) with visual, auditory, and tactile feedback.
- Conducted technical testing with healthcare experts.
- Performed a pilot study with 22 nurse practitioner students using the PVPS in sepsis and child abuse scenarios.
Main Results:
- Participants reported ease of interaction with the PVPS.
- User feedback on realism was mixed but encouraging.
- Key diagnostic cues identified included temperature, voice, skin appearance, and facial expressions.
Conclusions:
- The PVPS effectively integrates physical and virtual simulation elements.
- Multisensory cues (visual, auditory, tactile) enhance perceived realism.
- The PVPS shows promise for improving diagnostic skills in medical education.
