Department of Advanced General Dentistry, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.
Institute for Innovation in Digital Healthcare, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
BMC Med Educ. 2024 Jun 7;24(1):643. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05605-w.
Clinical observation conducted during the 3rd and 4th years of dental school is an important part of dental students' clinical education. However, conventional clinical observation is associated with several problems, including the lack of opportunity for all students to assist during surgery. Virtual reality (VR) technologies and devices can be used to demonstrate clinical processes that dental students need to learn through clinical observation. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching dental students the surgical tooth extraction procedure through clinical observation using VR.
We recruited third- and fourth-year dental students and divided them into a VR clinical observation group (VR group) and a conventional clinical observation group (control group). The control group visited an outpatient clinic and observed an oral and maxillofacial specialist perform surgical tooth extraction, whereas the VR group watched a 360° video of surgical tooth extraction using a head-mounted display. After observation, both groups were surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the clinical observation and their understanding of the procedure.
Understanding of the procedure and satisfaction with the observation were significantly higher in the VR group than in the control group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.047, respectively). Compared with conventional clinical observation, VR clinical observation improved learning motivation and medical thinking and judgment skills; however, interaction between professors and students was lacking.
VR clinical observation using 360° videos might be an effective teaching method for students. However, to allow interaction between professors and students during clinical observations, using it along with conventional clinical observation is necessary.
口腔医学专业三、四年级学生的临床观摩是其临床教育的重要组成部分。然而,传统的临床观摩存在一些问题,例如缺乏全体学生参与手术的机会。虚拟现实(VR)技术和设备可用于演示口腔医学生需要通过临床观摩来学习的临床操作过程。本研究旨在评估通过 VR 进行临床观摩来教授口腔医学生拔牙手术的效果。
我们招募了三、四年级的口腔医学生,并将他们分为 VR 临床观察组(VR 组)和传统临床观察组(对照组)。对照组前往门诊,观摩口腔颌面外科专家进行拔牙手术,而 VR 组则通过头戴式显示器观看拔牙手术的 360°视频。临床观摩后,两组均对临床观摩的满意度和对操作程序的理解进行了调查。
VR 组对操作程序的理解和对临床观摩的满意度均显著高于对照组(p=0.001 和 p=0.047)。与传统临床观摩相比,VR 临床观摩提高了学习动机和医学思维及判断技能;但缺乏师生之间的互动。
使用 360°视频进行 VR 临床观摩可能是一种有效的教学方法。然而,为了在临床观摩期间允许师生之间进行互动,有必要结合传统临床观摩一起使用。