Virtual humans — lifelike beings on a computer screen that can converse and interact with actual human beings — can be a useful tool in helping medical students learn and practice empathy, Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan researchers found.
The U-M researchers, along with researchers from Medical Cyberworlds, the company that makes the virtual humans, recently published a study in Patient Education and Counseling that examines the use of the virtual tool.
The virtual human technology, called MPathic-VR, can see, hear and react to real-life humans interacting with them. The technology provides personalized suggestions for improvement and allows people to watch back the video of themselves interacting with the virtual beings.
The study included 421 students at three U.S. medical schools. Half the students used the virtual human technology and the other half used the more conventional computer-based learning methods.
The study shows that students using the virtual human technology improved their intercultural and professional communication performance between their first and second interactions in every scenario. They also scored higher than the conventional computer-based learning group on the objective structured clinical examination focused on advanced communication skills.
"Medical learners have a great need for practical, innovative methods to help them master the complexities of health care communication and develop excellent communication skills — both verbal and nonverbal. Ours is the first-ever research showing that it can be done effectively with virtual reality," said study Michael Fetters, MD, study co-author and U-M family medicine professor.