Enhancing Clinical Education Training with Immersive Reality (XR)

Abstract

A core element of clinical education is the observed structured clinical examination (OSCE) that simulates real-life clinical practice. These OSCEs can be enhanced through combining the best elements of emerging technologies in the design of enhanced simulation environments to prepare healthcare graduates for changing clinical practice as it integrates new and emerging technologies. New and emerging immersive reality (XR) headsets that allow digital enhancement of practice with real tools and procedures can be combined with haptic feedback such as a high-fidelity manikin within an interactive immersive room that can replicate a wide variety of real-world scenarios at the touch of a button. In this way XR can enhance authentic learning in clinical and first responder practice by enabling exposure to critical elements of clinical simulation in a safe, contextual learning environment that is cost effective and scalable compared to the expense of simulations involving actors and physical real-life sets. In response this concise paper introduces the development of a framework for enhanced simulation practice using the Blended Learning Simulation Suite (BLISS).