Virtual Reality for Assessing Emergency Medical Competencies in Junior Doctors – A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background The teaching and assessment of clinical-practical skills in medical education face challenges in adequately preparing students for professional practice, especially in handling emergency situations. This study aimed to evaluate the emergency medical competencies of junior doctors using Virtual Reality (VR)-based scenarios to determine their preparedness for real-world clinical situations. Methods Junior doctors with 0–6 months of professional experience participated in one of three VR-based emergency scenarios. These scenarios were designed to test competencies in emergency medical care. Performance was automatically assessed through a scenario-specific checklist, and participants also completed self-assessments and a clinical reasoning ability test using the Post-Encounter Form. Results Twenty-one junior doctors participated in the study. Results showed that while general stabilization tasks were performed well, there were notable deficiencies in disease-specific diagnostic and therapeutic actions. The average performance score was 65.6%, with no significant variance between different scenarios. Clinical reasoning ability was generally high (average 80.5%), indicating a robust ability to handle diagnostic decisions. Self-assessments did not correlate significantly with objective measures of competency, highlighting the subjective nature of self-evaluation. Conclusion VR-based simulations are effective for assessing emergency medical competencies in junior doctors, providing a detailed measure of their abilities across various emergency scenarios. The findings suggest that while participants are generally well-prepared for routine tasks, more focus is needed on complex case management. VR assessments could be an essential tool for evaluating and improving the readiness of new medical professionals for clinical practice.