499-P: Leveraging the Technological Advances of Virtual Reality (VR) to Foster Engaging and Interactive Learning, Ultimately Impacting Patient Quality of Care

Leveraging the technological advances of virtual reality (VR) to foster engaging and interactive learning, ultimately impacting patient quality of care.

With continual information evolution, staying current with relevant updates and guideline recommendations can be challenging. Innovative approaches, such as the VR Experience - a cylindrical room showcasing 360-degree wrap around animated content - enlivens education through concise, yet memorable subject matter immersion, transforming the intangible to tangible.

VISION RELIEF is an educational initiative focused on the timely diagnosis and appropriate application of guideline-based treatment for retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy (DR). Available in live and digitized formats, learners engage with visual illustrations of retinopathy essentials in screening, detection, and multidisciplinary management, guided by expert faculty dialogue and holographic elements to enhance the 10-minute encounter.

Results: A total of 1040 learners from the 2022 American Diabetes Association Conference engaged with both the live (n=712) and virtual (n=328) educational formats. Of learners that completed pre-/post-testing (n=644), there was a mean 21% competence gain in ability to recognize the importance of early detection and referral of diabetic eye disease, potential visual benefit from early initiation of DR treatment and value of multidisciplinary management. Additionally, 99% of respondents (n=573) reported that VR enhanced their learning experience, with increased likelihood for retinopathy screening referral (82%) and multidisciplinary care of DR patients (80%) (N=527).

Conclusions: Use of innovative technologies can enhance continued learning, advancing the ability to provide high-quality, integrated care.