Traditional medical education under siege: the revolutionary integration of virtual reality and gamification in medical escape rooms

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Active learning approaches that promote participation, critical thinking, and practical competency are becoming more and more necessary in medical and nursing education. Virtual reality (VR) and gamification, especially in the context of escape rooms, have become popular instructional technology in response to these issues. The interactive, scenario-based learning environments provided by these tools encourage motivation, teamwork, and decision-making. The impact and transformative possibilities of incorporating virtual reality and gamified escape rooms into medical and nursing education are examined in this paper. METHODS: The use of virtual reality (VR), gamification, and escape rooms in medical and nursing education was investigated using a thorough narrative literature review. In order to give a comprehensive and holistic overview of new subjects, this method was selected. Keywords like "escape room," "digital escape room," "online escape room," "gamification," "game-based education," "virtual reality in medical education," "medical student," "nursing education," "nursing student," and "nursing staff" were used in the January 10, 2025, search across Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, and Scopus. English-language publications from the past ten years that addressed virtual reality, gamification, or escape rooms in medical or nursing education were included in the inclusion criteria. Non-relevant papers, non-peer-reviewed literature, and research with unclear methodology or no empirical data were among the exclusion criteria. 25 studies were chosen for a thorough assessment after a rigorous screening process based on methodological rigor and relevance. RESULTS: The total number of retrieved articles in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on January 10, 2025, was 172. After removing 64 duplicate articles, 108 papers were screened by experts. After this investigation, 25 articles were extensively reviewed for the results section. The findings from the selected studies can be categorized into four main areas: enhancing clinical decision-making, improving teamwork and collaboration, increasing knowledge retention and engagement, and reducing stress in high-pressure scenarios. These studies, summarized in Table 1, highlight the effectiveness of escape rooms and VR-based training in medical and nursing education, particularly in emergency medicine, pharmacy, radiology, internal medicine, and psychiatry. CONCLUSION: The integration of VR and gamified escape rooms in healthcare education presents a promising approach to improving clinical training and competency development among medical students, nursing students, and healthcare professionals. The findings underscore the need for further research and implementation of these tools to enhance experiential learning and optimize medical education outcomes. By leveraging gamification and VR simulations, medical training programs can bridge educational gaps and improve patient care delivery in both traditional and remote learning environments. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

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