Can virtual reality technology be used for empathy education in medical students: a randomized case-control study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Empathy Research

Background:

• Empathy is crucial for doctor-patient relationships, yet understanding mental illness like depression presents unique challenges.
• Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a valuable tool for empathy education, offering immersive learning experiences.
• This study investigates VR's impact on medical students' empathy, depression education, and attitudes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a single virtual reality (VR) experience in enhancing empathy among medical students.
• To evaluate the feasibility of using VR for depression education.
• To examine changes in medical students' thoughts and attitudes towards depression after a VR intervention.

Main Methods:

• Medical students were randomly assigned to VR intervention (depressed student scenario) or control (general student scenario) groups.
• Empathy was measured using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional Students (JSE-HPS).
• Attitude changes were assessed via the Implicit Association Test (IAT), alongside user experience questionnaires and correlation analyses.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significant improvements in perspective-taking and compassionate care domains of the JSE-HPS.
• A significant decrease was observed in the 'standing in the patient's shoes' domain of the JSE-HPS.
• Positive correlations were found between JSE scores and VR immersion/presence; negative correlation between IAT scores and VR presence.

Conclusions:

• A single VR experience can enhance specific aspects of empathy and understanding of depressive disorders in medical students.
• While not inducing significant overall attitude shifts, VR shows promise as an educational tool for mental health.
• Further research into prolonged VR interventions may yield greater improvements in empathy and attitudes.