VR tools enhance acquisition and retention of clinical and procedural skills but face barriers including cybersickness, limited tactile feedback and variable long-term skill transfer¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2–r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? VR can significantly enhance the acquisition and retention of clinical and procedural skills, improving knowledge, procedural accuracy, error reduction and learner confidence. → Stamer Tjorven 2026 q2 i? Barriers to VR training include simulator or cybersickness, limited tactile feedback compared to real procedures, technical constraints and variability in long-term skill transfer. → Stamer Tjorven 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Stamer Tjorven 2026¶

Stamer Tjorven, Machinek Nora, Steinhäuser Jost, Goujard Mathilde, Flägel Kristina. (2026). The role of digital teaching methods in supporting practical skills training in the academic training of health professions – a scoping review. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-08785-9

q2 · i? · review · r3

The review's narrative synthesis of its VR category (48 studies, including surgical simulators and immersive environments). It reports improvements in knowledge, procedural accuracy, error reduction and learner confidence, with greater engagement and satisfaction than conventional training.

"Studies have shown that VR can significantly enhance the acquisition and retention of clinical and procedural skills. Evidence demonstrates improvements in knowledge, procedural accuracy, error reduction and learner confidence"

Stamer Tjorven 2026 (2)¶

Stamer Tjorven, Machinek Nora, Steinhäuser Jost, Goujard Mathilde, Flägel Kristina. (2026). The role of digital teaching methods in supporting practical skills training in the academic training of health professions – a scoping review. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-08785-9

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review's synthesis of reported limitations across VR studies, naming cybersickness, limited tactile feedback, technical constraints and variable long-term skill transfer as barriers.

"Barriers include reports of simulator or cybersickness, limited tactile feedback compared to real procedures, technical constraints such as object interaction or haptic realism and variability in long-term skill transfer."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Long-Term Memory — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Most digital teaching methods demonstrated positive effects on practical skills acquisition, particularly simulation-based, VR-supported or interactive formats, but effect magnitude and consistency varied substantially — a broader claim this one bears on
• Face-to-face learning enabled direct educator feedback and skill practice, and one online clinical tool showed less value in clinical placement than classroom use — related
• Evidence on simulation-based leadership training lacks longitudinal follow-up and objective patient-centered outcomes, limiting causal inference — related
• Virtual reality was particularly effective for procedural skill development and knowledge retention in paediatric undergraduate training — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Across the reviewed studies, simulation-based interventions consistently improved paediatric undergraduate learning outcomes, including clinical reasoning, procedural skills and confidence — a broader claim this one bears on
• The review reports that high-fidelity simulation outperformed case-based discussion for clinical reasoning and leadership in paediatric emergencies — related
• Simulation Based Education Improves Outcomes — a broader claim this one bears on
• Resource limitations, technical hurdles and time constraints were the primary reported barriers to implementing paediatric SBE — related
• Several included studies found haptic VR training equivalent rather than superior to conventional dental training — related
• VR/AR implementation challenges fall on three fronts: learner distraction and discomfort, teacher classroom-management and design burdens, and school cost and infrastructure limits — related
• AI-powered simulations show short-term gains in communication confidence and structured knowledge in RCTs, with limited or inferior effects for tactile psychomotor skills — related
• AR/VR training shows equal or superior outcomes versus conventional training in dental and OMFS education — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Computer vision and machine learning enable objective, automated surgical skill assessment — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Haptic simulator trials more frequently show superior accuracy outcomes when force-feedback and structured guidance are included — related
• The review concludes that low-cost simulation methods' ability to fully replace high-fidelity methods remains uncertain, as some critical psychomotor or situational skills may require more immersive training — related
• No longitudinal studies or RCTs demonstrate that AI-acquired skills transfer to the operating room — related
• Reported barriers to simulation effectiveness include insufficient debriefing, lack of repeated exposure, and inadequate faculty development — related
• VR communication training faces challenges of scenario realism, lack of clinical urgency in virtual characters, and language barriers — related
• VR training's effect on OSATS-assisted skill acquisition shows conflicting evidence — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• In a pragmatic RCT, VR communication simulation produced higher communication ability, confidence and satisfaction and lower clinical practice stress than video-based learning — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• DP-informed simulation-based surgical training is associated with improved psychomotor skill acquisition in laparoscopic surgery — related
• Educators reported challenges including lacking confidence, feeling nervous, and requiring significant training and expertise when using online simulation approaches — related
• Feedback-oriented and interactive instructional methods are associated with improvements in clinical reasoning, procedural skills, and learner confidence in orthodontic postgraduate education — related
• AR-based remote neurosurgical training system combining cloud computing and AR/VR showed significant skill improvements, with AR outperforming VR in tactile realism and scene authenticity — related
• Feedback content matters: feedback on the procedural skill was superior to feedback on results, and light/buzzer feedback outperformed voice or no feedback — related
• Most VR assessments occur at Miller's performance level, with the action level absent — related