Virtual standardized patient training improved alcohol screening and brief intervention skills and diagnostic accuracy for depression and PTSD in two RCTs, while a suicide risk assessment RCT found no significant effect¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (3 entries) · review r3 · q3
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In an RCT of 102 health care professionals, the VSP intervention group demonstrated significantly improved posttest skills in alcohol screening and brief intervention compared to a no-training control, with moderate and small effect sizes. → Sten CW 2024 q3 i? In a posttest-only RCT of 30 family physicians, both VR training groups showed significantly better diagnostic accuracy for major depressive disorder than the text-based program, with large effect sizes; for PTSD the fixed avatar intervention showed a large and the choice avatar a moderate to large effect size. → Sten CW 2024 (2) q3 i? In an RCT of 67 medical students comparing a VSP intervention to a video module for suicide risk assessment, minimal to small effect sizes favored the VSP intervention but did not achieve statistical significance for any outcomes. → Sten CW 2024 (3)

Evidence¶

Sten CW 2024¶

Sten CW, Söderström K, Stensrud B, Nylund IB, Siqveland J. (2024). The effectiveness of virtual reality training on knowledge, skills and attitudes of health care professionals and students in assessing and treating mental health disorders: a systematic review. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05423-0

q3 · i? · review · r3

RCT of 102 health care professionals randomized to a VSP intervention or no training; three standardized patients rated participants with a checklist. The review reports "significantly improved posttest skills" with moderate and small effect sizes; no numeric effect sizes are printed.

"The VSP intervention group demonstrated significantly improved posttest skills in alcohol screening and brief intervention compared to the control group, with moderate and small effect sizes, respectively."

Sten CW 2024 (2)¶

Sten CW, Söderström K, Stensrud B, Nylund IB, Siqveland J. (2024). The effectiveness of virtual reality training on knowledge, skills and attitudes of health care professionals and students in assessing and treating mental health disorders: a systematic review. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05423-0

q3 · i? · quant-synthesis · r1

Posttest-only RCT of 30 family physicians comparing two VSP interventions with a text-based program, assessed by a diagnostic form. The review reports significant effects with large effect sizes for depression and large, and moderate to large, effects for PTSD by avatar type.

"The results revealed a significant effect on diagnostic accuracy for major depressive disorder for both groups receiving VR training, compared to the text-based program, with large effect sizes observed."

Sten CW 2024 (3)¶

Sten CW, Söderström K, Stensrud B, Nylund IB, Siqveland J. (2024). The effectiveness of virtual reality training on knowledge, skills and attitudes of health care professionals and students in assessing and treating mental health disorders: a systematic review. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05423-0

q3 · i? · review · r3

RCT of 67 medical students comparing a VSP intervention group to a video module group on the frequency of suicide risk questions asked of a standardized patient. The review reports minimal to small effect sizes that "did not achieve statistical significance for any outcomes".

"Minimal to small effect sizes were noted in favor of the VSP intervention, though they did not achieve statistical significance for any outcomes."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• VR training improved mental health knowledge in two non-randomized studies but showed no statistically significant effect on diagnostic recognition in a cohort study — related
• VR training interventions can promote knowledge and skills acquisition in health care professionals and students for assessing and treating mental health disorders, though the evidence base is uncertain — a broader claim this one bears on
• A single-group pretest–posttest study found no significant effect of VSP training on attitudes toward individuals with substance abuse disorders but a significant increase in perceived competence — related
• Virtual patient simulations show mixed effects: improved diagnostic accuracy in one trial, no advantage over video teaching in another, and short-lived knowledge gains — related
• Software-based platforms generally improve examination scores, diagnostic accuracy, and decision-making performance — a broader claim this one bears on
• Controlled GenAI virtual-patient and communication studies reported short-term skill gains, but positive findings were not universal — a broader claim this one bears on