A Mixed Methods study protocol to enhance VR tools in medical education

Communication between medical providers and patients has been shown to be an essential component of the patient-provider relationship. Research has long established that more than 50% of human communication is nonverbal, yet the nonverbal aspect of the patient-provider relationship is relatively little studied. With the advent of technology-based avatars and virtual humans to improve providers' communication with patients, a team led by MMP Research Fellow Dr. Analay Perez, Dr. Timothy Guetterman, Associate Director of the MMP, and other MMP faculty, are working to produce a nonverbal communication behavior model and automated assessment for use in virtual human simulation exercises. Using a multi-stage mixed methods design, the team plans to explore the most critical elements of verbal and non-verbal communication by analyzing MPathic-VR data, coding video interactions, and conducting interviews with oncology providers. Ultimately, Dr. Perez and her co-authors hope that their findings will enhance patient-provider communication through VR technologies and improve health information dissemination.