Position immersive technologies and virtual patients as supplementary components within blended learning rather than stand-alone replacements for established clinical communication training¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 mixed) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The review recommends a measured adoption strategy: immersive technologies and virtual patients should be implemented strategically, not as default innovations, where (1) learning objectives clearly match the affordances of the technology, (2) educator support and feedback structures are in place, and (3) institutional resources allow for sustainable integration. Their potential value is greatest for preparing students for sensitive communication encounters, risk-free rehearsal before real patient contact, perspective-taking experiences such as dementia or mental health simulations, and repeated practice without extensive clinical placement resources.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• learning objectives clearly match the affordances of the technology
• educator support and feedback structures are in place
• institutional resources allow for sustainable integration

Constraints¶

• The available evidence does not justify replacing established teaching methods; conclusions should be interpreted conservatively given the critically low quality of included reviews

Target Learners¶

• undergraduate health professions students

Target Learning Goals¶

• clinical communication skills
• empathy
• patient-centered communication

Claims¶

• VR/AR and metaverse-based approaches were more frequently associated with favorable findings than screen-based virtual patient approaches, which yielded mixed findings with no clear advantage over non-technology-based simulation [~W]
• Reported barriers to immersive and VP-based communication training include limited authenticity of non-verbal interaction, unrealistic student perceptions, high institutional resource requirements, technical challenges, and scalability constraints [~W]
• Evidence on long-term retention and transfer of clinical communication skills to clinical practice remained inconsistent or lacking across included reviews [~W]

Related Strategies¶

• Adopt a differentiated integration strategy for GenAI in undergraduate medical education rather than uniform adoption
• Use virtual patients to replace passive instruction and train clinical reasoning before bedside learning, without diminishing bedside teaching hours
• Tiered ECE implementation: virtual and case-based learning first, then simulated patient interaction, then supervised real patient contact
• Use fidelity-aware simulated patients as a low-risk complement to supervision for deliberate psychotherapy practice
• Integrate virtual and augmented reality as supplementary tools rather than full replacements for traditional learning methods
• Integrate GAI-based teaching into medical curricula with robust curricular integration, technological support, and systematic training for educators and students
• Design high-quality simulation and metaverse content with alignment to learning objectives, interactivity, and developmentally integrated deliberate practice from basic to advanced skills
• Integrate e-learning as a supplement to rather than replacement of traditional teaching (blended learning)
• Implement communication skills training in medical curricula
• Consider VR as an adjunct to dissection and evaluate cost-effectiveness and adverse reactions when adopting VR for anatomy teaching

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Kalmring M, Chmelar S, Greimel P, Kaider M, Lang C, Roszipal B. (2026). Teaching clinical communication skills through virtual patient-based learning: an umbrella review of systematic reviews. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-09374-6