Boise State University and the University of Utah are collaborating on a new program that will use virtual reality to help medical students identify and address social determinants of health.
A new project being launched at Boise State University and the University of Utah aims to use virtual reality to train medical students how to talk to their patients about social determinants of health.
Boise State School of Nursing Associate Professor Kate Doyon and co-investigators Nancy Allen and Julie Gee, associate professors at the University of Utah’s College of Nursing, will be working with the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library and Therapeutic Games & Applications Lab to create VR platforms that will teach future doctors, nurses, dentists and social workers how to talk to patients about non-clinical barriers that may affect their ability to access care or follow care plans.
“As providers, we have to know what the barriers and facilitators are to get [patients] on a plan of care,” Doyon said in a press release issued by Boise State. “It should be routine to ask the patient about their world.”
“At the end of the day a plan must be patient-centered,” she said, she added.
Social determinants of health can have a profound effect on clinical outcomes by hindering or even preventing consumers from getting the healthcare services they need. These barriers include family and job support, socio-economic and cultural norms, language issues, physical and geographical obstacles and digital literacy.
Supported by a $100,000 grant from the University of Utah's VR4 Health Sciences Education program, the project will create VR scenarios that allow students to see how these barriers, such as lack of access to a pharmacy or a home life that isn't conducive to post-discharge recovery, affect care management and coordination.
“The more realistic we can make the [virtual reality simulation], the more of an impact we can have,” said Doyon, who plans on seeking funding from the National Institutes of Health.
Healthcare experts say that by identifying the social determinants of health, providers can develop more comprehensive care coordination and management plans that overcome those barriers to care and boost health and wellness. That might include helping consumers understand how to use telehealth and digital health, arranging transportation to and from medical appointments or offering resources to address food insecurity, exercise, legal and family issues, even budgeting and housing concerns.
Eric Wicklund is the associate content manager and senior editor for Innovation at HealthLeaders.