Virtual Reality for medical education and training of Diabetic Foot

TL;DR

This paper presents a virtual reality simulator designed to improve training for primary health care professionals in diagnosing and treating Diabetic Foot, aiming to address a critical gap in medical education and reduce amputations.

Contribution

It introduces a VR-based training tool with gamification and clinical case simulations to enhance learning and assess usability, effectiveness, and user experience.

Findings

Preliminary usability and effectiveness data to be collected from field studies.

Potential reduction in diagnostic errors through VR training.

Enhanced engagement and learning outcomes for primary care professionals.

Abstract

Diabetic Foot is one of the most common complications of Diabetes Mellitus and the leading non-traumatic cause of lower-limb amputations worldwide. These complications are preventable with early diagnosis and timely care. However, even in the context of expanding primary health care, this problem continues to increase, which suggests a gap in the training of primary health care professionals regarding the diagnosis and treatment of Diabetic Foot. This project proposes the development of a Virtual Reality simulator for training students and professionals in primary health care, aiming to collaborate in filling this gap. The application features gamification elements to increase user engagement. The context of medical care in primary care will be simulated with various clinical cases, including several virtual patients with different stages related to the Diabetic Foot, seeking to provide credible and distinct experiences to potential users. In addition, we aim to verify usability, effectiveness, and any side effects (cybersickness). Finally, we plan to conduct field studies with qualified students and professionals to identify the main benefits and obstacles to applying the technology.