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Bringing Radiology Education to a New Reality: A Pilot Study of Using Virtual Reality as a Remote Educational Tool.
Yuhao Wu1, Prosanta Mondal2, Matthew Stewart1
1Department of Medical Imaging, Royal University Hospital, 12371University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) in radiology education shows potential for enhanced learning and user satisfaction. While overall test scores were similar, students better detected subtle findings using VR, despite some technical and physical challenges.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Radiology
- Virtual Reality
Background:
- Traditional radiology education relies on standard viewing systems.
- Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive learning experiences.
- Evaluating VR's impact on undergraduate radiology education is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of VR in undergraduate radiology education.
- To compare learning outcomes between VR and Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)-like viewers.
- To evaluate user satisfaction with VR in a radiology elective.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen undergraduates participated in a 2-week radiology elective.
- Students used both a standard DICOM viewer (ODIN) and a VR viewer (SieVRt).
- Learning outcomes and user satisfaction were assessed via tests and surveys.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in overall test scores between VR and standard viewers.
- Students performed better on specific detection/measurement tasks using VR.
- Students preferred VR for visualizing subtle findings but reported usability challenges and side effects.
Conclusions:
- VR has potential to enhance radiology education through immersive experiences.
- VR demonstrated objective benefits in specific tasks and subjective user preference.
- Future VR development should address technical and usability challenges for wider adoption.
