I-Corps: Translation potential of virtual reality simulation technology to enhance empathetic concern and compassionate care among medical students and healthcare professionals

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a healthcare education platform to foster empathy, cultural competence, and essential skills for patient-centered care. Currently, there is a need for educational resources for healthcare systems and education programs aiming to meet new competencies required by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and other healthcare accreditation agencies.

This technology simulates patient scenarios and delivers micro-learning interventions providing an immersive experience, placing learners in the patient’s perspective. The approach may be integrated into existing curricula, addressing the critical need for empathy and cultural competence in patient care training, particularly in low-income and culturally diverse communities.

In addition, this technology has the potential to transform healthcare training and patient care standards, offering a scalable solution for healthcare systems and education programs.

This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of a healthcare education platform that utilizes advanced 180º virtual reality simulation technology to deliver immersive, micro-story patient interventions. The goal is to enhance empathetic concern and compassionate care among healthcare learners and professionals.

These microlearning interventions are grounded in evidence-based research and validated through neurophysiological, behavioral, attitudinal, and self-report testing. Each intervention is designed to simulate patients’ perspectives, providing a rapid, impactful experience in less than five minutes. These interventions are complemented by validated reflective protocols that can be facilitated virtually, in person, or asynchronously through interactive video or artificial intelligence tools.

This combination enhances empathy and facilitates the development of the critical awareness of systemic barriers to compassionate care. In addition, this micro-learning strategy seamlessly integrates into existing curricula, meeting new accreditation standards and addressing the critical need for empathy and cultural competence in patient care training.

This solution is particularly important for low-income and culturally diverse communities. The 180º video capture technology provides an immersive experience that can be developed for a wide range of scenarios, effectively transporting the learner into the perspective of future patients.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.