Designing Virtual Reality-Based Conversational Agents to Train Clinicians in Verbal De-escalation Skills: Exploratory...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Clinical Training

Background:

• Workplace violence and aggression pose significant challenges for clinicians globally.
• Traditional training methods like on-the-job learning and role-play simulations have limitations.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a cost-effective, engaging, and flexible alternative for training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of verbal engagement with a virtual agent using the Code Black VR application.
• To identify barriers to effective verbal interaction within a VR-based de-escalation training context.
• To inform the design of future VR training tools based on the Clinical Training Through VR Design Framework.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-eight clinicians with diverse expertise participated in VR training workshops.
• Participants engaged in multiple playthroughs of the Code Black VR verbal de-escalation trainer, interacting with a virtual agent.
• Data collection included observations, reflection notes, System Usability Scale, user comments, and application-recorded interaction data.

Main Results:

• The Code Black VR application was positively received by participants.
• Study findings supported existing design framework factors for VR training.
• Identified new considerations for future VR application development: motion sickness, perceived value, and privacy.

Conclusions:

• Verbal interaction with virtual agents is a feasible method for training de-escalation skills.
• VR-based training serves as an effective supplement to existing clinician training programs.
• Broader design considerations are provided to guide the advancement of VR training technologies.