Virtual Reality in Medical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic; A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: With the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease and the virtualization of education, many challenges were created in the field of medical education. Many of these challenges were turned into opportunities with the help of new technologies such as virtual reality. The purpose of this research was to investigate the applications of virtual reality in medical education in the era of COVID-19. Methods: We aimed to investigate new technologies’ applications in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Original English articles were browsed in online databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Scienceas of November 24, 2022. Data of eligible publications were extracted following screening/ selection in two steps and applying inclusion/ exclusion criteria. This systematic review follows PRISMA checklist and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) bias assessment tool. Results: Based on the included articles, Microsoft HoloLense2 and Meta Oculus devices were used extensively in medical training studies. In some of the studies, the results demonstrated that the use of these technologies resulted in high levels of engagement, was suitable for training purposes, and decreased the risk of medical learning practicums. Moreover, some studies observed improvement in training compared to traditional training systems. Conclusion: Extended reality use including Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Augmented Reality (AR) concepts in teaching activities and practical procedures can improve the overall educational process, while also increasing engagement, motivation, and understanding of key concepts of participants, especially medical students.