Researchers develop VR training to tackle racial disparity
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The first module, which focuses on “Black maternal health care”, was tested in a pilot study 30 medical students and resident physicians, with study participants completing a survey that explores a physician’s beliefs about the value of patients’ opinions about the cause of their illnesses and how it affects their lives.
Charee Thompson, professor of communication, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, commented: “We know that disparities in Black maternal health affect or are connected to disparities for Black infants, including preterm birth and low birth weights. And so, for me, this is one of the most urgent needs when it comes to the health of women and children.
“Ultimately, this virtual reality training system could become a viable tool for practicing communication with diverse patients across different types of health care professions. “There’s no reason why nurses couldn’t also use this across different health care contexts — not just for Black maternal health, but chronic pain, diabetes or some of these other health issues in which we know that there are disparities based on markers of difference such as race or class”.
Two additional VR training modules are under development, aimed at promoting self-reflection by helping medical students to identify their own biases and learn how to mitigate them. The third module will focus on students practicing intercultural communication skills through interactions with a virtual patient, an approach that is seen by the researchers as more cost-effective than recruiting people for role playing with medical students.
Source: Inavate