Comparing Virtual Reality-Based and Traditional Physical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Stations...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are standard for assessing clinical competencies but are resource-intensive.
• Virtual reality (VR) presents a potential solution to the resource demands of traditional OSCEs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a virtual reality-based station (VRS) compared to a traditional physical station (PHS) within an existing OSCE.
• To assess student perceptions, technical feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of the VRS.

Main Methods:

• Fifth-year medical students participated in an OSCE with an emergency medicine station offered in both VRS and PHS modalities.
• Student performance, item characteristics, and perceptions were analyzed, comparing VRS and PHS.
• Organizational, technical, and cost-effectiveness aspects were evaluated.

Main Results:

• The VRS was implemented smoothly, with 93% of students using the technology without issues.
• VRS difficulty levels were comparable to other stations, but discrimination values were superior.
• Student perceptions were largely similar, with thematic analysis highlighting the realistic portrayal of emergencies in VRS.

Conclusions:

• Integrating VRS into OSCEs is technically and organizationally feasible, even with scheduling constraints.
• Students accepted the VRS positively, regardless of prior VR experience.
• VRS shows promise for clinical competence assessment due to comparable or superior item characteristics and potential long-term cost savings.