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Physician Assistant Student Attitudes and Empathy Following Virtual Immersion
Jannelle G Reynolds1, Mia J Hyde, Elizabeth Beverly
1Div. of Physician Assistant Education, Dep. of Medical Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2402 University Drive #149, Kearney, NE 68849-4509, USA. Tel 308-865-1102. jannelle.reynolds@unmc.edu.
Virtual reality modules improved physician assistant students' attitudes toward diabetes and social determinants of health. While empathy scores increased, the change was not statistically significant, suggesting further research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Professions Education
- Virtual Reality in Healthcare
Background:
- Provider attitudes towards diabetes and social determinants of health (SDH) impact patient wellbeing.
- Empathy is crucial for enhancing patient care and outcomes.
- Cinematic virtual reality (Cine-VR) has demonstrated potential in boosting student empathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure and compare empathy and diabetes attitudes among physician assistant students.
- To assess the impact of virtual reality (VR) modules on these attitudes.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-seven students completed the Diabetes Attitude Scale-version 3 (DAS-3) and Jefferson Empathy Scale (JES) pre- and post-module immersion.
- Paired t-tests were used to analyze changes in scale scores from baseline.
Main Results:
- Four subscales of the DAS-3 showed statistically significant increases after module completion.
- The Jefferson Empathy Scale (JES) scores demonstrated an upward trend, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- Virtual patient simulations via VR can enhance student engagement in improving attitudes toward patients with diabetes and SDH.
- VR interventions show promise for enhancing empathy among healthcare students.
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