Acceptability and Utility of a Virtual Reality Diabetes-Related Foot Disease Training Program for First Nations...

Area of Science:

• Health professions education
• Digital health technologies
• Indigenous health

Background:

• Diabetes-related foot disease (DRFD) is a significant complication, particularly among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.
• Effective assessment and triage skills are crucial for managing DRFD in primary healthcare settings.
• Existing training methods may not adequately address the specific needs of community health practitioners in this area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility and acceptability of a novel virtual reality (VR) training tool.
• To assess the tool's effectiveness in enhancing skills for DRFD assessment and triage.
• To determine the tool's suitability for training community health practitioners serving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Main Methods:

• A pragmatic quasi-experimental case series design was employed.
• The VR training involved interactive assessments with virtual patient models.
• Participants included primary healthcare staff from Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations in South Australia.

Main Results:

• Participants reported increased self-efficacy in performing DRFD assessment and triage skills post-training.
• User feedback indicated the VR training was engaging, acceptable, and valuable for clinical education.
• The training demonstrated positive user experience and perceived educational benefit.

Conclusions:

• The VR training tool is an acceptable and useful method for enhancing community health practitioners' skills in DRFD management.
• The VR tool shows potential for upskilling healthcare professionals to better serve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals with DRFD.
• Virtual reality offers a promising avenue for improving healthcare education and outcomes in remote and underserved populations.