Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing
students: Virtual reality communication tool for application
and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) -
a study protocol

J 2025

Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing students: Virtual reality communication tool for application and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) - a study protocol

ROWER, Hanna A A; Aleksandrina SKVORTSOVA; Mohamad M SAAB; Claudia BAUSEWEIN; Irene HARTIGAN et al.

Základní údaje

Originální název

Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing students: Virtual reality communication tool for application and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) - a study protocol

Autoři

Vydání

PEC INNOVATION, AMSTERDAM, ELSEVIER, 2025, 2772-6282

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

30304 Public and environmental health

Stát vydavatele

Nizozemské království

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

URL

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ano

Organizační jednotka

Lékařská fakulta

Klíčová slova anglicky

Virtual reality; Healthcare education; Communication skills; Bad news delivery; Medical simulation; Medical education

Štítky

14110523, rivok

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno

Změněno: 2. 3. 2026 11:02, Mgr. Tereza Miškechová

Anotace

V originále

Background: In healthcare education, virtual reality (VR), simulating real-world situations, is emerging as a tool to improve communication skills, particularly in sensitive scenarios involving patients and caregivers. While promising, VR-based education also poses challenges such as avatar realism, cognitive load, and the need for pedagogical grounding. Objective: This protocol paper presents the VR-TALKS project, which aims to develop, apply, and evaluate VR scenarios designed to teach healthcare students communication skills in serious illness scenarios. Barriers and facilitators to integrating VR into healthcare teaching modules, along with the usability, feasibility, and educational impact of the VR tool, will be assessed across five European countries, incorporating insights from both students and educators. Methods: Phase 1 involves screening current communication courses at six partner institutions to identify opportunities for integrating VR. Phase 2 assesses the barriers and facilitators faced by approximately n = 70 educators in incorporating VR into communication training. Phase 3 focuses on developing VR scenarios based on the SPIKES and NURSE techniques. Phase 4 evaluates the usability and feasibility of the scenarios with n = 200 students and n = 30 educators. Feedback from this phase will inform further improvement of the tool. Expected results: The project will provide valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators of VR integration, develop two VR scenarios in multiple languages, and collect data on feasibility, usability, and user satisfaction. Additionally, it will offer recommendations for effectively incorporating VR into university curricula. Potential limitations of immersive VR, such as motion sickness, will be considered during evaluation. Conclusions: The project aims to enhance teaching methods for serious illness communication across Europe. The knowledge gained will be disseminated publicly through peer-reviewed publications and the project website, with plans to offer the VR training to other universities. Innovation: By addressing the limitations of conventional training, VR-TALKS offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to develop crucial communication skills in a repeatable, standardized, and time-flexible environment. Funding: ERASMUS+ Program through the Centre for International Cooperation in Education in the Czech Republic, "Dam zahranicn & iacute; spoluprace" (DZS), spanning from 01.09.2023 to 31.08.2025.

Citovat

ROWER, Hanna A A; Aleksandrina SKVORTSOVA; Mohamad M SAAB; Claudia BAUSEWEIN; Irene HARTIGAN; Sandra Martins PEREIRA; Pablo HERNANDEZ-MARRERO; Jan HRDLICKA; Katerina RUSINOVA; Martin LOUČKA; Lucie HRDLICKOVA; Martin ZIELINA; Cathy PAYNE; Liesbeth M Van VLIE; Malte KLEMMT; Kambiz AFSHAR a Stephanie STIEL. Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing students: Virtual reality communication tool for application and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) - a study protocol. PEC INNOVATION. AMSTERDAM: ELSEVIER, 2025, roč. 7, December 2025, s. 1-7. ISSN 2772-6282. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100426.

@article{2557769,
   author = {Rower, Hanna A A and Skvortsova, Aleksandrina and Saab, Mohamad M and Bausewein, Claudia and Hartigan, Irene and Pereira, Sandra Martins and HernandezandMarrero, Pablo and Hrdlicka, Jan and Rusinova, Katerina and Loučka, Martin and Hrdlickova, Lucie and Zielina, Martin and Payne, Cathy and Vlie, Liesbeth M Van and Klemmt, Malte and Afshar, Kambiz and Stiel, Stephanie},
   article_location = {AMSTERDAM},
   article_number = {December 2025},
   doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100426},
   keywords = {Virtual reality; Healthcare education; Communication skills; Bad news delivery; Medical simulation; Medical education},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2772-6282},
   journal = {PEC INNOVATION},
   title = {Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing students: Virtual reality communication tool for application and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) - a study protocol},
   url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277262822500055X?via%3Dihub},
   volume = {7},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2557769
AU  - Rower, Hanna A A - Skvortsova, Aleksandrina - Saab, Mohamad M - Bausewein, Claudia - Hartigan, Irene - Pereira, Sandra Martins - Hernandez-Marrero, Pablo - Hrdlicka, Jan - Rusinova, Katerina - Loučka, Martin - Hrdlickova, Lucie - Zielina, Martin - Payne, Cathy - Vlie, Liesbeth M Van - Klemmt, Malte - Afshar, Kambiz - Stiel, Stephanie
PY  - 2025
TI  - Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing students: Virtual reality communication tool for application and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) - a study protocol
JF  - PEC INNOVATION
VL  - 7
IS  - December 2025
SP  - 1-7
EP  - 1-7
PB  - ELSEVIER
SN  - 27726282
KW  - Virtual reality
KW  - Healthcare education
KW  - Communication skills
KW  - Bad news delivery
KW  - Medical simulation
KW  - Medical education
UR  - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277262822500055X?via%3Dihub
N2  - Background: In healthcare education, virtual reality (VR), simulating real-world situations, is emerging as a tool to improve communication skills, particularly in sensitive scenarios involving patients and caregivers. While promising, VR-based education also poses challenges such as avatar realism, cognitive load, and the need for pedagogical grounding. Objective: This protocol paper presents the VR-TALKS project, which aims to develop, apply, and evaluate VR scenarios designed to teach healthcare students communication skills in serious illness scenarios. Barriers and facilitators to integrating VR into healthcare teaching modules, along with the usability, feasibility, and educational impact of the VR tool, will be assessed across five European countries, incorporating insights from both students and educators. Methods: Phase 1 involves screening current communication courses at six partner institutions to identify opportunities for integrating VR. Phase 2 assesses the barriers and facilitators faced by approximately n = 70 educators in incorporating VR into communication training. Phase 3 focuses on developing VR scenarios based on the SPIKES and NURSE techniques. Phase 4 evaluates the usability and feasibility of the scenarios with n = 200 students and n = 30 educators. Feedback from this phase will inform further improvement of the tool. Expected results: The project will provide valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators of VR integration, develop two VR scenarios in multiple languages, and collect data on feasibility, usability, and user satisfaction. Additionally, it will offer recommendations for effectively incorporating VR into university curricula. Potential limitations of immersive VR, such as motion sickness, will be considered during evaluation. Conclusions: The project aims to enhance teaching methods for serious illness communication across Europe. The knowledge gained will be disseminated publicly through peer-reviewed publications and the project website, with plans to offer the VR training to other universities. Innovation: By addressing the limitations of conventional training, VR-TALKS offers healthcare professionals the opportunity to develop crucial communication skills in a repeatable, standardized, and time-flexible environment. Funding: ERASMUS+ Program through the Centre for International Cooperation in Education in the Czech Republic, "Dam zahranicn & iacute; spoluprace" (DZS), spanning from 01.09.2023 to 31.08.2025.
ER  -

ROWER, Hanna A A; Aleksandrina SKVORTSOVA; Mohamad M SAAB; Claudia BAUSEWEIN; Irene HARTIGAN; Sandra Martins PEREIRA; Pablo HERNANDEZ-MARRERO; Jan HRDLICKA; Katerina RUSINOVA; Martin LOUČKA; Lucie HRDLICKOVA; Martin ZIELINA; Cathy PAYNE; Liesbeth M Van VLIE; Malte KLEMMT; Kambiz AFSHAR a Stephanie STIEL. Innovations in communication training for medical and nursing students: Virtual reality communication tool for application and evaluation with key stakeholders and students (VR-TALKS) - a study protocol. \textit{PEC INNOVATION}. AMSTERDAM: ELSEVIER, 2025, roč.~7, December 2025, s.~1-7. ISSN~2772-6282. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2025.100426.

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