Consider VR as an adjunct to dissection and evaluate cost-effectiveness and adverse reactions when adopting VR for anatomy teaching¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 3 studies (2 review, 1 quant-synthesis), q2 · 1 of 3 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article recommends that universities and hospitals consider VR as a tool in medical teaching situations, while treating it as a complement rather than a replacement for dissection: "VR could be used as an adjunct to dissection in class with fewer lab hours or resources." It further advises that future research assess satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and adverse reactions when evaluating VR's teaching effectiveness, and that learning duration be considered and adjusted in practice.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Future evaluation should assess factors like degree of satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and adverse reactions before adoption decisions.

Constraints¶

• No included randomized controlled studies reported on cost-effectiveness of VR compared with other teaching methods; only one study was from a lower income setting, reducing applicability to developing regions.

Target Learners¶

• medical students
• residents
• surgical trainees

Target Learning Goals¶

• acquisition of three-dimensional anatomy knowledge and spatial understanding of anatomical structures

Claims¶

• VR use in anatomy learning can cause adverse effects and disorientation for some learners [+W]
• The most frequently reported challenge of virtual simulation teaching is its lack of realism, alongside operational complexity, English-language demands, cultural mismatch, and adverse physical reactions [+W]
• In one reviewed study, Anatomage virtual dissection increased medical student engagement by 34% over cadaver-based practice, constrained by equipment costs exceeding $72,000 per station [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• VR-based anatomy teaching moderately improves learners' examination scores compared with traditional or 2D digital methods [+M]
• Incorporate VR-based simulation training into spine surgery residency curricula as an adjunct to traditional methods
• Position immersive technologies and virtual patients as supplementary components within blended learning rather than stand-alone replacements for established clinical communication training
• Integrate e-learning as a supplement to rather than replacement of traditional teaching (blended learning)

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Zhao Jingjie, Xu Xinliang, Jiang Hualin, Ding Yi. (2020). The effectiveness of virtual reality-based technology on anatomy teaching: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-1994-z