Harvard VR

The Challenge

Ariadne Labs, a pioneering health systems innovation center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, recognized the challenge in enhancing clinician-patient communication, especially when discussing serious illnesses. They sought to develop a Virtual Reality Virtual Reality (VR) training platform to help palliative care doctors improve their communication skills. Our role was to collaborate with Ariadne Labs to create an immersive, safe environment where clinicians could practice these emotionally challenging conversations, enhance their empathy, and better document patient outcomes.

The Solution

The VR training platform was built on two key scientific principles: embodiment and experiential learning.

Embodiment: By immersing clinicians in a VR environment, where they assume a virtual body, we enhanced their sense of presence and engagement. This sense of "being" in the virtual environment promotes a deeper emotional connection to the training, as the user feels physically involved in the scenario.

Experiential Learning: The immersive VR environment also draws upon experiential learning principles, allowing clinicians to practice communication in simulated emotional situations. This approach fosters stronger neural connections by giving users the ability to engage in active practice and reflection, enhancing their learning and ability to apply it in real-life situations.

The Outcome

The VR platform is being implemented in several hospital test groups, where it is being used to help palliative care doctors refine their communication skills and enhance empathy. Initial feedback suggests that the immersive experience is fostering more effective and compassionate communication. As the platform continues to be explored, it holds potential for improving the quality of sensitive patient interactions and contributing to a more thoughtful, empathetic approach to care.