An all-wales virtual reality project-innovation, design and collaboration to enhance healthcare education
Authors: Davies Joanne , Twose Paul , Cook Sara , Dyer Craig , Holmes Marc 
Published: November 2022

The potential for immersive technologies to augment healthcare training is gaining significant interest. However, its applicability and effectiveness are yet to be fully understood. This project was a response from a bid released by the Cardiff Capital Region to undertake a rapid innovation project, consisting of 3 main phases: 1) feasibility; 2) development; and 3) testing, across Welsh Health Boards.

Project governance was provided via the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) in Clinical Excellence, a project board, and a project team with clinical and educational expertise, alongside Virtual Reality (VR) industry and academic partners. We aim to explore the formation of a virtual reality training package with a multi-centred collaborative project to overcome the current challenges of respiratory education, with a particular focus on tracheostomy care, to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond [1].

Phase 1 focused on the development of minimally viable solutions with a key focus on clinical content accuracy and education standards for single user learners. Phase 2 progressed to further develop the VR-based solutions including a multi-player system and virtual debriefing room, allowing the team to focus on key simulation-based learning best practice standards within the design and build [2]. Phase 3 is when system testing occurred over an 8-week period, across 6 Health Boards in NHS Wales involving over 100 multi-professional clinicians commencing in February 2022.

On site hospital clinical education session feedback regarding use of the system and perceived opportunities were highly favourable in terms of ease of use, potential for VR in practice, and providing flexibility for mass training needs. Multi-user training was particularly well received. The limitations were lack of resource and time to combine a formal research project regarding the educational impact within busy health boards. This is planned for the next phase.

Empirical evidence from other industries demonstrates VR technology is an effective and efficient way of improving training [3]. Developing VR solutions to support healthcare training needs involves a collaborative approach with Health Boards, industry, and academic partners. The design, build, and implementation approach can embed simulation best practice standards to form innovative educational solutions to the challenges seen in the delivery of mass healthcare education. Formal research is required to begin to measure such factors as education transference, patient care impact, and return on investment questions.

1. Chiang DH, Huang CC, Cheng SC, Cheng JC, Wu CH, Huang SS, Yang YY, Yang LY, Kao SY, Chen CH, Shulruf B. Immersive virtual reality (VR) training increases the self-efficacy of in-hospital healthcare providers and patient families regarding tracheostomy-related knowledge and care skills: A prospective pre–post study. Medicine. 2022;101(2):e28570–e28570.

2. Rossler K, Molloy MA, Pastva AM, Brown M, Xavier N. Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice

3. Manolakis K, Papagiannakis G. Virtual Reality simulation streamlines medical training for healthcare professionals. Journal of dentistry. 2022;121:103987.