Exploring augmented reality for hand hygiene training in radiography students: A pilot study

Augmented reality (AR) offers opportunities for hand hygiene training and assessment in health profession students, providing guided and repetitive experiential learning. This pilot study aimed to explore radiography students' perceptions of the usability and satisfaction of an AR system (ARS) for hand hygiene education and its effect on students' knowledge, confidence, and practice.

Radiography students completed ARS-based hand hygiene training and assessment before clinical placement. Data was collected at three timepoints: Pre-intervention (Survey 1); Postintervention (Survey 2); and Post-placement (Survey 3). Surveys explored knowledge, confidence and perceptions of the ARS. Software-acquired data was automatically recorded. Following an opt-out recruitment approach, 73 students participated in this study.

Self-reported confidence in hand hygiene practice improved after the AR intervention and remained stable post-placement. Hand hygiene knowledge was high before and after AR intervention, with no change post-placement. Training and assessment averaged five and 3 min respectively. Most students (58.6 %) passed the assessment on their first attempt. Common compliance errors were recorded across five out of six hand hygiene actions. Students found the ARS to be interactive and enjoyable. Negative feedback focused on the ARS' detection of hand movements by a small proportion of students.

AR-based hand hygiene training is a feasible and engaging for radiography students, enhancing confidence and supporting skills acquisition through interactive, time-efficient practice. Identified limitations suggest improvements to introduction to the ARS-based training and the physical environment where intervention is conducted.

Integrating AR into pre-clinical education can provide consistent, scalable, and immersive training that reinforces importance of hand hygiene. The time efficiency of AR supports inclusion in busy curricula, while its interactive nature may increase student engagement.