The integration of immersive virtual reality simulation in interprofessional education: A scoping review

Background: Contemporary healthcare systems are in dire need of teamwork and interprofessional collaboration, however, existing curricula of health education programs offer few opportunities to build these capabilities. Virtual simulations enable interaction and cooperative learning for students pursuing health majors. Objective: To explore the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality simulation (IVRS) in interprofessional education (IPE) and the experience of students from various disciplines in a virtual clinical environment. Design, data sources and methods: A scoping review was conducted. Literature was systematically searched from CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE/PubMed, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane Library and Open Grey databases. Among 2352 records, 12 research articles were found and analyzed. Results: The experiences of students participating in IVRS centered on enhanced cooperation and communication across their disciplines. They obtained a more accurate picture of the patient and developed an interdisciplinary care plan. After the IPE session, they had greater appreciation of the importance of a team approach and shared learning. Students acknowledged the usability of virtual worlds (VWs) and appreciated the immersive learning experience that was offered. They gained valuable insight into mutual roles and believed that this experience would benefit their role as a health care team member. Conclusions: This study supports the usability of VWs for IPE. As a new teaching modality, the IVRS experience effectively promotes interprofessional collaboration and communication. Future advances in the use of these technologies are expected to revolutionize health science education.