Virtual Reality 360-Degree Films for Objective Structured Clinical Examination Preparation: A Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Technology-Enhanced Learning

Background:

• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are vital for assessing medical students' clinical skills.
• Increasing class sizes challenge the delivery of resource-intensive OSCEs.
• Student anxiety and limited pre-clinical practice opportunities hinder OSCE preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the non-inferiority of 360-degree video simulations compared to traditional teaching for OSCE preparation.
• To assess the impact of virtual reality (VR) on pre-clinical medical students' confidence and anxiety levels.
• To explore VR as an independent study tool for enhancing clinical skills training.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 16 pre-clinical medical students, randomly assigned to VR (360-degree videos) or control (PowerPoint) groups.
• Administered pre- and post-intervention questionnaires on self-perceived confidence and anxiety.
• Conducted focus groups with VR participants to gather qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed a statistically significant increase in confidence for OSCEs, demonstrating VR's non-inferiority.
• The VR group exhibited a significant increase in self-reported confidence (p=0.0117).
• VR use led to decreased anxiety, though not statistically significant (p=0.1019); thematic analysis confirmed anxiety reduction and immersive learning benefits.

Conclusions:

• 360-degree video resources show potential for preparing pre-clinical medical students for OSCEs.
• VR enhances confidence and preparedness while mitigating anxiety, offering diverse patient case exposure.
• Immersive technologies like VR are supported for inclusion in medical education, with potential for optimization and expanded access.