Volume 15, Issue 5 (Sep & Oct 2025)
J Research Health 2025, 15(5): 493-504 |
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Mircheraghi S F, Khadem-Rezaiyan M, Zeraati A A. Enhancing Compassionate Care: Virtual Reality Boosts Medical Students’ Empathy Toward Hypertensive Patients. J Research Health 2025; 15 (5) :493-504
URL: http://jrh.gmu.ac.ir/article-1-2696-en.html
URL: http://jrh.gmu.ac.ir/article-1-2696-en.html
1- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
2- Medical Sciences Education Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. & Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
3- Kidney Transplantation Complications Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran. ,Zeraatia@mums.ac.ir
2- Medical Sciences Education Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. & Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
3- Kidney Transplantation Complications Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad, Iran. ,
Abstract: (423 Views)
Background: Hypertension is a major public health problem that may lead to cardiovascular, renal, visual, and auditory complications. According to previous studies, besides pharmacological treatments, other factors are also effective in controlling hypertension, such as healthcare providers’ empathy toward patients. As an innovative tool, virtual reality (VR) has been used in recent years to promote empathy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of VR on the empathy of medical students, medical residents, and fellowship students toward hypertensive patients.
Methods: In this experimental study, 198 medical learners, after stratification based on their program level, were randomly assigned to the VR (intervention) group and the pamphlet (control) group. At first, both groups filled out the Jefferson scale of empathy (JSE) questionnaire. Seven days later, participants in the VR group were exposed to a VR scenario under normal audiovisual conditions for the first minute, followed by exposure to visually simulated glaucoma, macular edema, cataract, and vitreous hemorrhage, accompanied by a simultaneous tinnitus sound as visual and auditory complications of hypertension. The participants in the control group were exposed to a written pamphlet about visual and auditory complications of hypertension. Afterward, both groups answered the JSE Questionnaire again. Finally, 93 participants from the VR group and 88 participants from the control group were eligible for analysis.
Results: The results showed that although there was no statistically significant difference between both groups in the empathy scores at the pre-intervention phase (P=0.706), after exposure to VR and pamphlet, the empathy scores of the VR group (112.46±12.67) were significantly higher than those of the control group (108.17±12.59) at the post-intervention phase (P=0.024).
Conclusion: This study showed that innovative technologies, like VR, can promote empathy among future healthcare providers toward patients, which may lead to more effective hypertension control.
Methods: In this experimental study, 198 medical learners, after stratification based on their program level, were randomly assigned to the VR (intervention) group and the pamphlet (control) group. At first, both groups filled out the Jefferson scale of empathy (JSE) questionnaire. Seven days later, participants in the VR group were exposed to a VR scenario under normal audiovisual conditions for the first minute, followed by exposure to visually simulated glaucoma, macular edema, cataract, and vitreous hemorrhage, accompanied by a simultaneous tinnitus sound as visual and auditory complications of hypertension. The participants in the control group were exposed to a written pamphlet about visual and auditory complications of hypertension. Afterward, both groups answered the JSE Questionnaire again. Finally, 93 participants from the VR group and 88 participants from the control group were eligible for analysis.
Results: The results showed that although there was no statistically significant difference between both groups in the empathy scores at the pre-intervention phase (P=0.706), after exposure to VR and pamphlet, the empathy scores of the VR group (112.46±12.67) were significantly higher than those of the control group (108.17±12.59) at the post-intervention phase (P=0.024).
Conclusion: This study showed that innovative technologies, like VR, can promote empathy among future healthcare providers toward patients, which may lead to more effective hypertension control.
Type of Study: Orginal Article |
Subject:
● Disease Control
Received: 2024/12/7 | Accepted: 2025/01/27 | Published: 2025/08/5
Received: 2024/12/7 | Accepted: 2025/01/27 | Published: 2025/08/5
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