A virtual simulation-based educational application about complementary and alternative medicine: A pilot study of...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Digital Health
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)

Background:

• Healthcare professionals often lack adequate knowledge and communication skills regarding CAM.
• Attitudinal barriers hinder effective patient-provider discussions about CAM.
• Virtual simulation-based education offers a potential solution for improving CAM knowledge and communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a virtual simulation app on nurses' attitudes towards patients' CAM use.
• To evaluate nurses' competency in communicating with patients about CAM after app interaction.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study employed a quasi-experimental, one-group, pretest-posttest design.
• 49 nurses utilized a smartphone-based virtual simulation app with educational modules and exercises.
• Nurses' attitudes and communication competency were measured pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in nurses' attitudes towards CAM and their communication competency.
• Completion of the virtual simulation exercises positively impacted both attitude and competency scores.
• Risk-benefit decision scores showed a significant correlation with improved attitudes and communication skills.

Conclusions:

• Virtual simulation-based educational apps can effectively enhance nurses' attitudes towards CAM.
• This technology improves nurses' communication competency when discussing CAM with patients.
• Digital health interventions show promise for bridging knowledge gaps in CAM within nursing practice.