Study on the acceptance of virtual reality as a complement to the study of human anatomy

Introduction Information and communication technologies have demonstrated their utility adapted to Health Sciences, particularly from an educational perspective. Virtual reality (VR) has become a tool that catalyzes the acquisition of clinical skills before contact with the patient, increasing safety, dexterity in procedures, and reducing the possibility of errors or complications. However, these tools could also offer new approaches for teaching basic subjects for undergraduates (Anatomy, Histology, etc.) and the use of tablets, and especially smartphones, could act as a complementary educational incentive. Methods Two hundred seventy-four students from different levels of the degree in Medicine, were invited to use a VR app on their phones with stereoscopic goggles. The users immerse themselves in the bioscopic anatomy, navigating through different anatomical structures. Results The questionnaire scores were, in general, above 4, reaffirming a positive opinion, except regarding the use of the tool for student exams. Conclusion Universities could increase formative delivery at a reduced cost, while ensuring training quality. The proposed concept of VR also helps to provide a useful learning environment in the COVID-19 scenario. Our results show that the introduction of immersive technology associated with VR and smartphones for medical students can be a welcome complementary or alternative educational tool. Resumen Introducción Las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación han demostrado su utilidad adaptada a las Ciencias de la Salud, particularmente desde una perspectiva educativa. La realidad virtual (RV) se ha convertido en una herramienta que cataliza la adquisición de habilidades clínicas antes del contacto con el paciente, aumentando la seguridad, la destreza en los procedimientos y reduciendo la posibilidad de errores o complicaciones. Sin embargo, estas herramientas también podrían ofrecer nuevos enfoques para la enseñanza de materias básicas para estudiantes universitarios (Anatomía, Histología, etc.) y el uso de tabletas, y especialmente teléfonos inteligentes, podría actuar como un incentivo educativo complementario. Métodos Doscientos setenta y cuatro estudiantes de diferentes niveles de la licenciatura en Medicina fueron invitados a usar una aplicación de realidad virtual en sus teléfonos con gafas estereoscópicas. Los usuarios se sumergen en la anatomía bioscópica, navegando a través de diferentes estructuras anatómicas. Resultados Las puntuaciones del cuestionario fueron, en general, superiores a 4, reafirmando una opinión positiva, excepto en lo que respecta al uso de la herramienta para los exámenes de los estudiantes. Conclusión Las universidades podrían aumentar la entrega formativa a un costo reducido, al tiempo que garantizan la calidad de la capacitación. El concepto propuesto de RV también ayuda a proporcionar un entorno de aprendizaje útil en el escenario COVID-19 Nuestros resultados muestran que la introducción de tecnología inmersiva asociada con la realidad virtual y los teléfonos inteligentes para estudiantes de medicina puede ser una herramienta educativa complementaria o alternativa bienvenida.

Optimizing a Protocol to Assess Immune Responses after SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Kidney-Transplanted Patients: In Vivo DTH Cutaneous Test as the Initial Screening Method.

Previously, the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) cutaneous test with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be a simple in vivo method to measure T-cell functionality after natural infection and in vaccinated individuals. METHODS: Twenty-five kidney-transplanted recipients were immunized with two doses of the mRNA-based Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 vaccine three weeks apart. Cell-immune response (CIR) was evaluated ten weeks later using an in vivo DTH skin test and in vitro with an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA). Humoral Immune Response (HIR) was determined by the measurement of specific IgG anti-S1 SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Ten weeks after the second dose of the vaccine, 23 out of 25 transplanted patients had a positive DTH skin test, while in vitro CIR was considered positive in 20 patients. Unspecific stimulation was positive in all 25 patients, showing no T-cell defect. Seven out of twenty-five patients had a negative specific anti-spike IgG. CIR was positive in all immune-competent control patients. CONCLUSIONS: DTH is a useful, simple, and cheaper tool that can be used to assess cellular immune response, with an excellent correlation with the in vitro CIR. CIR assessment after vaccination in these immunocompromised patients is an excellent complement to HIR-based methods. This skin test could be used if classical in vitro methods cannot be applied.