The comparison of teaching efficiency between virtual reality and traditional education in medical education: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Virtual reality (VR) technology has developed rapidly in recent years and has been applied in many fields, including medical education. A meta-analysis was performed to compare the examination pass rate of medical students educated using VR and those receiving traditional education to evaluate the teaching effect of VR in medical education. Methods:The PubMed, Springer Link, Science Direct, and Wiley Online Library were searched from inception to May 2020. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were then evaluated, relevant information extracted and a meta-analysis conducted. Students were allocated to a VR group, those trained using VR technology, and a traditional education group, those who received a traditional medical education.Results: Six studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results indicate a significant difference between the pass rate of students educated using VR and those receiving traditional medical education. The odds ratios and confidence intervals of individual studies and our meta-analysis are illustrated with a forest plot.Conclusions: Students in the VR group performed better than those in the traditional education group.Teaching with VR may enhance student learning in medical education. Medical schools should consider making greater use of VR when educating students.

Virtual reality as a learning tool for improving infection control procedures

“…Recently, the effectiveness of medical education using VR has been reported. 17 However, reports on the use of VR in infection control education are limited. [12][13][14][15] VR learning of the care of COVID-19 patients consisted of hand hygiene, PPE donning and doffing, and proper specimen collection.…”

Virtual Reality and Three-Dimensional Printed Models Improve the Morphological Understanding in Learning Mandibular Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy: A Randomized Controlled Study

“…Digital models are novel instruments that have been applied in the educational field. Several studies have declared that VR models are an effective tool for learning anatomy and simulating surgery ( 8 , 11 , 14 , 15 , 17 ). Izard et al reported that the application of operational VR models of the cranium and cranial fossa helps with medical training and improves surgical skills ( 8 ).…”

“…Compared with conventional twodimensional pictures, the head-mounted VR devices enable users to view stereoscopic images in a fully immersive environment. Several studies have declared that VR models are effective tools to improve the learning of complex spatial structures because of visual advantages with fast processing, relative reliability, and parallelism (8,11,(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). However, the interactive VR experience lacks the tactile information that is crucial to effectively master the complex structures and perform the surgical operation.…”

Use of Virtual Reality for Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Simulation

“…While conventional mannequin-based simulation can be a useful tool, upkeep and maintenance of high-fidelity simulators is expensive, and they can be cumbersome to set up and operate [10,11]. Virtual reality (VR) is an alternative simulation methodology being used increasingly in medical training and education [12][13][14][15][16]. VR has the potential advantage of increased "immersion," the sense of being physically in the virtual space or performing a task, and has been shown to manifest physiologic stress responses akin to real life among physicians participating in resuscitation simulations [13,17].…”