Currently submitted to: JMIR Cardio
Date Submitted: May 22, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: May 29, 2026 - Jul 24, 2026
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A Review of Extended Reality-Driven Advances in Cardiovascular Training and Education
ABSTRACT
Extended reality (XR), encompassing virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, is an emerging digital health technology with growing relevance for cardiovascular training and education. Cardiovascular specialties require advanced visuospatial understanding and procedural competence, yet traditional training pathways are increasingly limited by time, case exposure, and variability in learning opportunities. This review aims to synthesise the current evidence on the use of XR technologies in cardiovascular education. A structured literature search was performed across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies published between 2014 and February 2025 evaluating XR-based educational interventions in cardiovascular medicine. Eligible studies included original research reporting educational or training outcomes in medical students, trainees, or clinicians. Evidence was narratively synthesised according to educational domain and XR modality. Across the included studies, XR was most commonly applied using virtual reality for three-dimensional visualisation of cardiac anatomy and pathology, as well as simulation-based procedural training in interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, and cardiac surgery. XR-enabled learning was consistently associated with high learner engagement and satisfaction, with several studies demonstrating improvements in spatial understanding, procedural performance metrics, and learner confidence compared with conventional teaching approaches. Evidence for augmented and mixed reality remains sparse. However, the evidence remains limited by heterogeneity in study design, small sample sizes, short-term outcome assessment, and limited evaluation of knowledge retention. XR represents a promising digital health adjunct to cardiovascular education, with particular value in immersive visualisation and simulation. Robust, longitudinal studies with standardised educational outcomes are required to support evidence-based integration into cardiovascular training programmes.
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