Effectiveness of Teacher-Student Interactive Immersive Mixed Reality Technology on Anatomy Education

Summary

Background:

Novice surgeons often struggle to translate anatomical knowledge into clinical practice, primarily due to a lack of resources, significant variability in anatomical structures, and limited hands-on experience. These challenges can lead to considerable deficiencies in clinical performance. Traditional educational methods, such as textbooks and CT imaging, frequently fall short in offering the depth necessary for effective application in surgical settings. Recent technological advancements, particularly in Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), are revolutionizing surgical education by creating immersive learning environments. In complex fields like hepatobiliary surgery, the integration of MR allows for enhanced visualization of anatomical details, improving the understanding of vascular structures and tumor localization, which consequently boosts surgical training outcomes. However, most research to date has analyzed these technologies in isolation, with few studies investigating their collaborative benefits or effective integration into educational curricula.

This study aims to evaluate cognitive learning outcomes related to anatomical structures by employing various modalities, including traditional medical imaging, 3D models, and 3D-MR. Through cross-comparative analyses, investigators will assess the correlation between test scores and actual clinical performance, thereby gauging the impact of these modalities on the comprehension of intricate anatomical structures and their spatial visualization skills. Ultimately, this study aspire to develop a comprehensive anatomical teaching program that incorporates MR and 3D models to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of these innovative technologies in teaching liver and gallbladder anatomy.

Research Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of learning outcomes in anatomical structure learning between MR 3D modelling and general medical imaging, and to investigate which modalities lead to higher anatomical learning outcomes (primary outcome).

Hypothesis: Compared to plain images, 3D models of MR simulators can significantly improve learning performance, achieve better learning outcomes

Conditions

• Teaching Innovation
• Medical Education
• Anatomy Education

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Learning with CT scans

The average performance improvement in this group will serve as the baseline for learning achievable through conventional CT and MR imaging alone.

BEHAVIORAL

Learning with 3D visualization models

Learning anatomical structures using three-dimensional visualization models displayed on a computer.

RADIATION

Learning with 3D-MR visualization models

Viewing and manipulating 3D visualization models to learn anatomical structures using the MR headset.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Southern Medical University, China

  collaborator OTHER

• Zhujiang Hospital

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-12-07

Primary Completion

2024-12-21

Completion

2024-12-27

Countries

• China

Study Locations