Clinical Breast Examination Training With Virtual Reality: A Prospective Pilot Study of Knowledge, Practical Performance and Acceptability

BackgroundClinical breast examination (CBE) is an important component of breast cancer screening in low-and middle-income countries, including India's National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases.However, the accuracy of CBE is dependent on the examiner's technique, and opportunities for standardised, supervised and repeatable training remain limited.Virtual reality (VR) may provide an immersive and competency-based method of improving CBE training. MethodsThis prospective, single-centre, single-arm pre-test-post-test pilot study was conducted at the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER), Kolkata.Forty-three participants, comprising 22 doctors and medical students and 21 nurses, were enrolled.Baseline knowledge and practical CBE performance were assessed using a structured questionnaire and examination on a silicone breast model.Participants subsequently completed an interactive VR module in which each examination step had to be performed correctly before progression.Knowledge and practical skills were reassessed following training, and participants provided feedback regarding usability and acceptability. ResultsKnowledge and practical performance scores improved significantly following the VR intervention.Correct responses regarding breast palpation technique increased from 55.8% to 79.1%, assessment of the nipple and nipple discharge increased from 79.1% to 100%, use of the leaning-forward manoeuvre increased from 51.2% to 83.7%, and examination of all relevant lymph-node regions increased from 58.1% to 93.0%.The module demonstrated high acceptability: 97.7% of the participants considered VR more engaging and would recommend it, 95.3% reported that they perceived the VR format as helping them retain information, 90.7% found the module comprehensive, and 83.7% reported increased confidence in performing CBE. ConclusionCompetency-gated VR training was feasible, well accepted and associated with immediate improvements in CBE knowledge and practical skills among healthcare professionals and medical students.VR may serve as a standardised and repeatable adjunct to conventional CBE training, particularly in resource-constrained screening programmes.Larger controlled studies should evaluate long-term skill retention, diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness and real-world implementation.