Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence-Enhanced Virtual Reality in Teaching and Evaluating Communication Skills in Urology: A Pilot Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Effective communication is a core competency in healthcare, yet traditional training methods often face limitations in realism, scalability, and learner engagement. This study evaluated the perceptions of healthcare professionals regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced virtual reality (VR) simulations for communication skills training in urology. METHODS: A total of 45 healthcare professionals (N = 45) participated in a haematuria role-play simulation using AI-enhanced VR via Bodyswaps© software. Participants completed pre- and post-simulation questionnaires using a standard five-point Likert scale to measure perceptions of the potential of AI-VR to improve communication skills, usefulness, agreement with AI-generated feedback, realism compared to clinical practice, and overall enjoyability. Although Likert-scale responses are ordinal, they were treated as approximately interval data for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics and one-sample t-tests against the neutral midpoint (3.0) were conducted to assess whether participant perceptions differed significantly from neutrality, with significance set at a = 0.05. RESULTS: Prior to the simulation, participants (n = 23, 51.11%) reported belief in the potential of AI-VR to improve communication skills by responding above the neutral midpoint (M = 3.844 ± 0.9034). Post-simulation, participants (n = 40, 88.89%) showed increased perceptions of usefulness (M = 4.636 ± 0.6851). High levels of agreement with AI-generated feedback were reported by participants (n = 35, 77.78%) (M = 4.2 ± 0.9195), and participants (n = 40, 88.89%) rated the simulation as useful (M = 4.5 ± 0.6949). Regarding realism, participants (n = 34, 73.33%) rated the simulation positively (M = 4.159 ± 0.9135), and participants (n = 41, 91.11%) found the experience enjoyable (M = 4.465 ± 0.8549). All results reached statistical significance (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that AI-enhanced VR simulations have potential as effective and engaging tools for communication skills training in urology. The positive responses across all measured domains support further integration of immersive AI technologies into clinical education.