Name
Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Virtual Reality in Teaching and Evaluating Communication Skills in Urology: A Pilot Study
Speakers
Date & Time
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 12:45 PM - 12:59 PM
Presentation Category
Redefining Competence: Professional Identity, Collaborative Learning, and Resilience in an AI-Shaped World
Presentation Tag(s)
Trainee Presenter,International Presenter
Description
Introduction: Effective communication is a core competency in healthcare. This study evaluated the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced virtual reality (VR) simulations for communication skills training in urology.
Methods: A total of 45 healthcare professionals (N = 45) participated in a haematuria role-play simulation using AI-enhanced VR via Bodyswaps© software. Participants completed pre- and post-simulation questionnaires using a standard five-point Likert scale to measure perceptions of the potential of AI-VR to improve communication skills, usefulness, agreement with AI-generated feedback, realism compared to clinical practice, and overall enjoyability. Although Likert-scale responses are ordinal, they were treated as approximately interval data for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-tests against the neutral midpoint (3.0) were conducted to assess whether participant perceptions differed significantly from neutrality, with significance set at α = 0.05.
Results: Prior to the simulation, participants (n = 23, 51.11%) reported belief in the potential of AI-VR to improve communication skills by responding above the neutral midpoint (M = 3.844 ± 0.9034). Post-simulation, participants (n = 40, 88.89%) showed increased perceptions of usefulness (M = 4.636 ± 0.6851). High levels of agreement with AI-generated feedback were reported by participants (n = 35, 77.78%) (M = 4.2 ± 0.9195), and participants (n = 40, 88.89%) rated the simulation as useful (M = 4.5 ± 0.6949). Regarding realism, participants (n = 34, 73.33%) rated the simulation positively (M = 4.159 ± 0.9135), and participants (n = 41, 91.11%) found the experience enjoyable (M = 4.465 ± 0.8549). All results reached statistical significance (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: The positive responses across all measured domains support further integration of immersive AI technologies into clinical education.