The Use of Immersive 360-degree Video in Improving Spatial Orientation

Launched by SUNNYBROOK HEALTH SCIENCES CENTRE · May 30, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether immersive 360-degree virtual reality (VR) videos can help medical students navigate hospital environments more effectively than traditional 2-dimensional videos. As medical students rotate through different hospitals, they often face anxiety and confusion in unfamiliar settings, which can lead to them getting lost or arriving late to their activities. By using VR headsets, the researchers hope to provide a more realistic experience that could better prepare students to find their way around the hospital.

To participate in this study, you need to be a first- or second-year medical student at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and you should not have prior experience in the Sunnybrook hospital setting. During the trial, students will receive directions using either traditional videos or the new VR videos, and then they will be asked to navigate to two specific locations in the hospital. The researchers will measure how long it takes for them to arrive and how often they get lost. If the VR method proves successful, it could help reduce anxiety for students and improve their ability to navigate new environments in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Pre-clerkship (year 1 and 2) medical students from the University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Experience visiting Sunnybrook for personal reasons or previous coursework, shadowing, research, or clinical rotations. Having a familiarity with the floor plan of the hospital.