A virtual reality-based intervention to enhance empathy in delivering bad news of lung cancer

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Introduction: Delivering a lung cancer diagnosis is a critical moment that significantly influences patient satisfaction and quality of care. Empathy plays a central role in these interactions. We hypothesized that virtual reality (VR) could be an innovative tool to enhance the empathic skills of medical students and residents. Methods: This prospective study evaluated a VR-based intervention among medical students, and internal medicine residents. Participants watched 4 five-minute VR videos depicting a physician delivering a lung cancer diagnosis. Two videos portrayed an empathic physician from patient and physician perspectives, while the other two depicted a professional but non-empathic physician from similar viewpoints. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) was completed before and after the intervention. Results: A total of 116 students and 24 residents participated. The mean JSE score of students increased from 117.6±1.3 to 124.8±1.3 (p<0.001). Residents' scores rose from 121.8±2.4 to 128.0±1.8 (p=0.03). Participants reported high satisfaction (median 6.5/7). Significant correlations were found between JSE improvement, and anticipated impact on future patient interactions. Regression analysis identified satisfaction, perceived educational effectiveness and year of study as predictors of JSE increase. Identification with the either one of characters also predictied higher improvement in empathy scores. Qualitative analysis revealed themes highlighting the uniqueness of practicing empathy via VR, positive emotional insights, and the effectiveness of VR as a learning tool. Conclusions: The VR-based intervention showed promise in enhancing empathy in the delivery of lung cancer diagnosis.

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