1.1. Medical Simulation Technology
Throughout history medical simulation technology has played a vital role in not only medicine, but medical education as well. According to G. Alinier [1], the level of its development today is characterized by the presence of interactions between the operator and the simulation device. Such interactions can be achieved by the use of digital technologies and can be implemented in several ways.
Firstly, (when a computer program is commanded to respond to the user’s input) rigidly focused on executing the specific commands in a material carrier-matrix: for example, mannequins that resemble certain parts of the human body and respond to a limited range of operator manipulations.
The second way, which has been improved over the past decade, is virtual reality simulators. Virtual reality training is used in anatomy [2], communication with patients [3], taking an objective structured clinical exam [4], etc.
Which approach is better? - it is impossible to say for sure. Thus, the use of simulators based on a material carrier (dummy) gives the trainee the "effect' of presence, when the operator receives tactile sensations, feeling of a tissue, an organ; this is important when teaching the invasive techniques of interventions. At the same time, due to the rigidity of the software to the mechanical matrix, this vastly hinders the simulators abilities to perform multiple manipulations which limits the capabilities of the simulator by performing one or more manipulations.
Virtual reality technologies, on the other hand, do not offer the feeling of tactile contact and the scope of application is determined only by software. In addition, virtual reality technology significantly reduces the space required to house a simulator and, in the long run, is far cheaper. The advantages and disadvantages of using virtual reality in medicine and the educational process are presented in the review [5, 6, 7,8].
Recognition of sounds during auscultation of the lungs and heart is one of the fundamental skills of the doctor in direct examination of the patient. Learning auscultation skills involve mastering the technique of auscultation, the skills of recognizing the sound and the ability to classify the latter in accordance with the generally accepted nomenclature.
The classical approach to teaching auscultation involves the theoretical material (including work on simulators) before presenting to the patient’s bedside.
In the latter case, we are faced with a number of problems that make training difficult: the presence of a patient with thematic pathology in the clinic, ethical problems (the patient's consent to examination by a student, a high ratio of students to patients, the short duration of exposure also (may be due to the severity of the patient's condition, or the patient's refusal to cooperate for educational purposes). In addition, to these challenges, the prevalence of COVID-19 has also presented restrictions on the educational process [9].
It is optimal when a student comes to a patient already having very basic skills in recognizing sound so that he can compare the sounds he hears with the collection of sounds that he has in his memory.
The effectiveness of the use of simulation technologies in the preparation of a medical student is being actively studied. For example, a meta-analysis [10] included 13 works where simulations were used as additional training tool with traditional “bedside" methods. The authors conclude that simulation technologies are crucial in the preparation of medical students. However, today we would like to discuss trends towards a higher efficiency of simulation technologies compared to traditional teaching methods.
It should be noted that many studies of the effectiveness of simulation technologies relate to assessing student satisfaction with these technologies [9]. This feedback helps to improve the quality of training students as simulation technologies are introduced [11].
1.2. The aim of the project
The aim of the project is to compare the effectiveness of lung and heart auscultation training using traditional teaching methods and virtual reality technology.