Currently submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Jan 15, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Jan 15, 2025 - Mar 12, 2025
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Application of Mixed Reality for Ophthalmic Clinical Skills and Diagnosis – A Prospective Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Mixed reality (MR) has the potential to transform the delivery of medical education. With tools like HoloLens 2, educators can create immersive, interactive simulations that allow medical students to practice and engage with real-world scenarios in a controlled environment.
Objective:
We postulate that a hybrid ophthalmology curriculum that incorporates EyelearnMR (simulation application) with traditional teaching is non-inferior to traditional teaching. We compare learning outcomes and obtain user feedback.
Methods:
This is a single-blind cluster randomised prospective study. Medical students in their fourth year were organized into batches and then randomly assigned to two groups: the EyelearnMR and the control arm. The study group had an additional 2 hours of practice session with the EyelearnMR devices. During the second week of their posting, a video assessment was conducted for both groups - mid-posting for the study group and at the end of the posting for the control group. Students in the control group were allowed to experience the Eyelearn MR modules for 2 hours at the end of the posting. Both groups were asked to complete the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ).
Results:
Fifty-four medical students were recruited– 24 in control arm and 30 in EyelearnMR arm. EyelearnMR group performed significantly better than control group (median score was 16 and 15 respectively, P=0.032, Mann-Whitney U test). Students in the EyelearnMR group performed significantly better than the control overall and specifically in technique testing (p=0.02. UEQ showed positive evaluation for attractiveness, efficiency, dependability, stimulation and novelty.
Conclusions:
Eyelearn MR is an effective supplementary teaching tool in ophthalmic education and may confer additional learning benefits to a traditional clinical posting. There was positive evaluation for attractiveness, efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty based on the validated UEQ.
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