A randomized case-control study of empathy education in fifth-year and sixth-year medical students through different versions of virtual scenario experiences

Introductions: Empathy is an important factor in the doctor-patient relationship, but mental illness is more difficult to understand than other diseases. Besides traditional skills, virtual reality (VR) has been identified as a promising tool in empathy education. This study aimed to investigate the ability of empathy enhancement, the feasibility of depression education, and the changes in thoughts and attitudes in medical students through a single VR experience. Methods: We recruited medical students and randomly assigned them to two groups based on their completed Interpersonal Response Index (IRI) scores. Two sets of VR systems were provided; the intervention group experienced the daily life of the depressed medical student, while the control group experienced the general medical student scenario. Results: Result showed a significant increase in the perspective-taking (PT) and compassionate care (CC) domains of the JSE score and a significant decrease in the empathy (SP) domain in the intervention group. The Pearson correlation analysis found a significant positive correlation between the JSE score with immersion aspect and presence aspect, and a significant negative correlation between the IAT score and presence aspect.