ABSTRACT
Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted face-to-face teaching of medical students and forced efforts in finding alternative approaches. In order to help maintain high-quality education, a new virtual reality (VR)-based concept for training medical students in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) has been developed. This VR training concept is based on the integration of real patient data with two-and three-dimensional visualized pathological joints from X-ray and computed tomography generated images. Objectives: To evaluate the practicability and acceptance of the VR training application in the digital curricular education of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A short refresher lecture on rheumatic diseases (duration 60 minutes) was followed by presenting the VR training concept to the students. The VR training concept included the demonstration of three virtual patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis psoriatic arthritis regarding the symptoms, current medical problems, disease patterns at the imaging (conventional radiographs and high-resolution computed tomography) and therapy options. The practicability and acceptance of the VR was evaluated by medical students using a survey. Results: The study encompassed 237 medical students (163 female, 73 male, one diverse, age range 20 to 40 years). 72 % of the participants rated the virtual teaching as good or very good. 87 % presented an expanded knowledge for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis through the VR. Moreover, 91 % reported that the lecture provided a deeper understanding of RMD. Furthermore, 60 % of the students asked for additional courses by VR. Conclusion: The study highlighted the usefulness of innovative VR tools for teaching medical students digitally about RMD. VR applications can be a complementary educational modality for medical students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide students with the best possible clinical experience while ensuring that patient, student, and staff safety is not compromised.
ABSTRACT
Background: Digital health applications (DHAs) are gaining influence and promise great potential for the monitoring and management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Objectives: To analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on RMD patients' and rheumatologists' usage, preferences, and perception of digital health applications (DHAs) in Germany. Methods: A web-based national survey was developed by the Working Group Young Rheumatology of the German Society for Rheumatology and the German League against Rheumatism. The prospective survey was distributed via social media, QR-code, and email. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and regression analyses were performed to show correlations. Results: We analysed the responses of 299 patients and 129 rheumatologists. Most patients (74%) and rheumatologists (76%) believed that DHAs are useful in the management of RMDs and felt confident in their own usage thereof (90%;86%). 38% of patients and 71% of rheumatologists reported that their attitude had changed positively towards DHAs and that their usage had increased due to COVID-19 (29%;48%). The majority in both groups agreed on implementing virtual visits for follow-up appointments in stable disease conditions. The most reported advantages of DHAs were usage independent of time and place (76.6%;77.5%). The main barriers were a lack of information on suitable, available DHAs (58.5%;41.9%), poor usability (42.1% of patients) and a lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of DHAs (23.2% of rheumatologists) (Table 1). Only a minority (<10% in both groups) believed that digitalisation has a negative impact on the patient-doctor relationship. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic instigated an increase in patients' and rheumatologists' acceptance and usage of DHAs, possibly introducing a permanent paradigm shift in the management of RMDs. (Table Presented).