Developing Innovative Virtual Reality Simulations to Increase Health Care Providers' Understanding of Social...

Health care providers (HCPs) who work primarily with Medicaid patients must be competent in identifying and addressing social determinants of health (SDH). A curricular gap exists between promoting an understanding of SDH and teaching HCPs how to recognize and increase empathy to manage them. The project aim was to develop two virtual reality simulations (VRSs) as innovative methods to teach HCPs to identify and manage SDH. A secondary aim was to decrease unconscious bias and increase empathy by experiencing SDH from their patients' perspective.

Scripts for two VRSs were created by two HCP educators and clinicians. Scripts were evaluated by experts using an index of content validity (CVI). An advisory panel critiqued the scripts for appropriateness for VRSs, adequacy of evidence-based practice, and use of VRS equipment and software. The panel participated in a focus group and completed a final evaluation. The VRSs then were pilot tested with five HCPs who assessed content and utility and participated in interviews. This led to iterative improvements. Qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis approach.

The VRS scripts demonstrated adequate content-related validity evidence with CVI scores of 0.81 and 0.75. The expert panel found the VRS easy to use, useful as an educational tool, while promoting empathy for patients. Overall, participants were satisfied with using the VRS as an educational experience.

Through VRS technology, this project addresses a curricular gap in HCP training on SDH. VRS can be a useful tool to increase HCPs' understanding of SDH and, potentially, their empathy for patients.