'You are shaken awake!' a qualitative study on using virtual reality to understand patients' experiences

David Engelhard ¹, Lenny Mw Nahar-van Venrooij ^2,3, Evita Bartels ⁴

⁰Utrecht University School of Governance (USG), Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Medical Teacher +

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December 3, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Virtual reality (VR) movies can enhance medical professionals' empathy by immersing them in patient experiences. This technology offers a unique perspective, fostering a more patient-centered approach in clinical practice.

Area Of Science

Medical Education
Human-Computer Interaction
Patient Experience Research

Background

Medical professionals often lack direct insight into patient experiences.
Understanding patient perspectives is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.

Purpose Of The Study

To evaluate the utility of virtual reality (VR) technology in medical education for enhancing empathy towards patient experiences.
To explore how VR can bridge the gap between healthcare providers and patients' lived realities.

Main Methods

Development of a VR movie depicting a realistic patient journey.
Recruitment of 19 medical professionals using non-probability sampling.
Post-viewing focus group discussions and interviews, followed by thematic analysis.

Main Results

Participants reported feeling 'shaken awake' and maintained heightened awareness of patient experiences post-viewing.
The VR movie was recognized as a valuable teaching tool, improving understanding of the doctor-patient relationship.
Key aspects highlighted included improved attention, a person-centered approach, and enhanced confidence in patient interactions.

Conclusions

VR movies effectively enable medical professionals to 'see' and 'feel' patient experiences.
The passive role in VR underscores patient vulnerability, offering valuable insights.
A blended learning approach combining passive VR with active role-play is recommended for comprehensive training.

Keywords:

Medical professionals learning outcomes management medical education research