Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a VR training system for doctors in an effort to address health disparities based on race and class.
The first module focused on “Black maternal medicine” and was tested in a pilot study with 30 medical students and residents, with study participants completing a survey exploring physicians’ beliefs about the value of patients’ opinions about the causes of illness and the impact this has on patients’ lives.
“We know that health disparities for black mothers influence and are associated with disparities for black infants, such as preterm birth and low birth weight, so to me this is one of the most urgent needs when it comes to women’s and children’s health,” said Charlie Thompson, a professor of communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
“Ultimately, this virtual reality training system could be a practical tool for practicing communication with diverse patients across a range of health professions. There’s no reason why nurses couldn’t use this in a variety of health care settings — not just for Black maternal health, but for chronic pain, diabetes, or any other health issue where we know there are disparities based on markers of difference like race or class.”
Two more VR training modules are in development, aimed at encouraging self-reflection by helping medical students recognize their own biases and learn how to mitigate them. A third module focuses on students practicing intercultural communication skills through interactions with virtual patients, an approach that researchers believe is more cost-effective than hiring people to role-play with medical students.
