Virtual reality for assessing emergency medical competencies in junior doctors – a pilot study
Dublin Core
Title
Virtual reality for assessing emergency medical competencies in junior doctors – a pilot study
Subject
Virtual reality, Emergency medical competencies, Competence assessment, Junior doctors, Clinical
reasoning
reasoning
Description
Abstract
Background The teaching and assessment of clinical-practical skills in medical education face challenges in
adequately preparing students for professional practice, especially in handling emergency situations. This study aimed
to evaluate the emergency medical competencies of junior doctors using Virtual Reality (VR)-based scenarios to
determine their preparedness for real-world clinical situations.
Methods Junior doctors with 0–6 months of professional experience participated in one of three VR-based
emergency scenarios. These scenarios were designed to test competencies in emergency medical care. Performance
was automatically assessed through a scenario-specific checklist, and participants also completed self-assessments
and a clinical reasoning ability test using the Post-Encounter Form.
Results Twenty-one junior doctors participated in the study. Results showed that while general stabilization tasks
were performed well, there were notable deficiencies in disease-specific diagnostic and therapeutic actions. On
average, 65.6% of the required actions were performed correctly, with no significant variance between different
scenarios. Participants achieved an average score of 80.5% in the Post-Encounter-Form, indicating a robust ability to
handle diagnostic decisions. Self-assessments did not correlate significantly with objective measures of competency,
highlighting the subjective nature of self-evaluation.
Conclusion VR-based simulations can provide a detailed picture of EMC, covering both diagnostic and therapeutic
aspects. The findings of this pilot study suggest that while participants are generally well-prepared for routine tasks,
more focus is needed on complex case management. VR assessments could be a promising tool for evaluating the
readiness of new medical professionals for clinical practice.
Keywords Virtual reality, Emergency medical competencies, Competence assessment, Junior doctors, Clinical
reasoning
Background The teaching and assessment of clinical-practical skills in medical education face challenges in
adequately preparing students for professional practice, especially in handling emergency situations. This study aimed
to evaluate the emergency medical competencies of junior doctors using Virtual Reality (VR)-based scenarios to
determine their preparedness for real-world clinical situations.
Methods Junior doctors with 0–6 months of professional experience participated in one of three VR-based
emergency scenarios. These scenarios were designed to test competencies in emergency medical care. Performance
was automatically assessed through a scenario-specific checklist, and participants also completed self-assessments
and a clinical reasoning ability test using the Post-Encounter Form.
Results Twenty-one junior doctors participated in the study. Results showed that while general stabilization tasks
were performed well, there were notable deficiencies in disease-specific diagnostic and therapeutic actions. On
average, 65.6% of the required actions were performed correctly, with no significant variance between different
scenarios. Participants achieved an average score of 80.5% in the Post-Encounter-Form, indicating a robust ability to
handle diagnostic decisions. Self-assessments did not correlate significantly with objective measures of competency,
highlighting the subjective nature of self-evaluation.
Conclusion VR-based simulations can provide a detailed picture of EMC, covering both diagnostic and therapeutic
aspects. The findings of this pilot study suggest that while participants are generally well-prepared for routine tasks,
more focus is needed on complex case management. VR assessments could be a promising tool for evaluating the
readiness of new medical professionals for clinical practice.
Keywords Virtual reality, Emergency medical competencies, Competence assessment, Junior doctors, Clinical
reasoning
Creator
Franca Keicher1,2, Joy Backhaus1
, Sarah König1
and Tobias Mühling1*
, Sarah König1
and Tobias Mühling1*
Source
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-024-00721-2
Date
2024
Contributor
Peri Irawan
Format
pdf
Language
english
Type
text
Files
Collection
Citation
Franca Keicher1,2, Joy Backhaus1
, Sarah König1
and Tobias Mühling1*, “Virtual reality for assessing emergency medical competencies in junior doctors – a pilot study,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 25, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/12446.