Virtual reality may be just as effective as traditional one-on-one guidance for teaching ultrasound-guided needling skills in regional anesthesia, according to a June study published in the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia.
The study involved 45 medical students who had no prior exposure to ultrasonography, ultrasound-guided procedures or regional anesthesia, according to a June 25 Medscape report.
One group of students was taught with VR-assisted training, in which the participants practiced ultrasound scanning and needling using a simulator. One group was taught with conventional, one-on-one training from a faculty member using artificial models.
The researchers found no significant difference in the needling performance between the VR and conventional training groups.