Feasibility, Appropriateness and User Acceptance of Virtual Reality for Clinical Training and Examination in Nigeria: A Mixed Methods Evaluation Study

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic negatively disrupted health and education systems in Nigeria, especially clinical education, which requires hands-on training and physical assessment of patients. As a result of this peculiarity, an innovative Virtual model to TRain and Assess Clinical Students (VTRACS), a learner centred approach for teaching clinical healthcare professionals acceptability of this virtual reality (VR) model for clinical students' training and examination, based on limited budget and cost, was developed to mirror a real-life in-class simulation. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, appropriateness and acceptability of this virtual model for clinical students' training and examination. METHODS: A mixed-methods research design was employed using both descriptive quantitative data and in-depth interviews. The participants comprised 24 students from dentistry, nursing, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology programmes and eight faculty members at a public University in Southwest Nigeria. All the participants were exposed to VTRACS for training and assessment. RESULTS: The results showed a high level of feasibility (72%), appropriateness (85%) and acceptability (84%) for the virtual model. The findings from the qualitative data revealed varied views on the implementation of the virtual model for the training and assessment of clinical students. While a vast majority of the participants judged the intervention as effective in teaching and assessment, others expressed some challenges, including possible loss of empathy for patients, less effectiveness for complicated operations and unsuitability for some specific clinical examinations. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the model should be integrated and combined with physical training and assessment to optimise the benefits of Virtual Reality (VR) in medical education.