Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review

Aim: In recent years, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies have gained increasing attention as innovative tools for education, including in the field of adult Basic Life Support (BLS). While existing reviews on this topic primarily focus on comparing VR/AR with other educational approa...

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Main Authors: Nino Fijačko, Špela Metličar, Boža Janžekovič, Benjamin S. Abella, Vinay M. Nadkarni, Todd P. Chang, Robert Greif
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Resuscitation Plus
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520425000645
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author Nino Fijačko
Špela Metličar
Boža Janžekovič
Benjamin S. Abella
Vinay M. Nadkarni
Todd P. Chang
Robert Greif
author_facet Nino Fijačko
Špela Metličar
Boža Janžekovič
Benjamin S. Abella
Vinay M. Nadkarni
Todd P. Chang
Robert Greif
author_sort Nino Fijačko
collection DOAJ
description Aim: In recent years, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies have gained increasing attention as innovative tools for education, including in the field of adult Basic Life Support (BLS). While existing reviews on this topic primarily focus on comparing VR/AR with other educational approaches, our research aimed to identify the VR/AR hardware and software applications assessed in published studies and their alignment with learning objectives in adult BLS education. Methods: We conducted a scoping literature review using the Population, Exposure, and Outcome (PEO) framework to analyse publications from 2018 to 2024. The review focused on the impact of VR/AR (exposure) on affective, behavioral, and cognitive learning outcomes (outcome) in adult BLS education among laypersons, healthcare professionals, pre-licensure students, and duty-to-respond laypersons (population). Results: From 1,282 database records and 54 alternative sources, 31 articles were selected for comprehensive analysis. Many of the studies (11/31; 36%) targeted pre-licensure students, such as nursing students, and laypersons (9/31; 20%), primarily high school students. Only one study focused on duty-to-respond laypersons (1/31; 3%). VR studies (24/31; 77%) were more common than AR studies (6/31; 19%), featuring a broad spectrum of ten VR headsets compared to just two types of AR headsets. Among the assessed software applications, twenty-one commercial programs were examined—sixteen designed for VR and five for AR. Most studies investigated affective outcomes (25/31; 81%), while behavioural outcomes were also commonly examined (22/31; 71%). In contrast, cognitive outcomes were explored in fewer studies (9/31; 29%). Conclusion: Our review identified several challenges in existing studies, including variability in software and hardware, diverse learning outcomes, and accessibility issues with extended reality (XR) technology. To maximize its effectiveness, XR should be aligned with specific learning objectives rather than adopted for its novelty. Prioritizing educational efficacy ensures that XR enhances learning by addressing precise gaps, ultimately improving the understanding and retention of resuscitation skills among both laypersons and healthcare professionals.
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spelling doaj-art-79d68a8f550e4129845f90fcdf299ca82025-08-20T02:26:09ZengElsevierResuscitation Plus2666-52042025-05-012310092710.1016/j.resplu.2025.100927Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping reviewNino Fijačko0Špela Metličar1Boža Janžekovič2Benjamin S. Abella3Vinay M. Nadkarni4Todd P. Chang5Robert Greif6University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maribor, Slovenia; Maribor University Medical Centre, Maribor, Slovenia; Corresponding author at: Žitna ulica 15, University of Maribor, Faculty of Health Sciences, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.Medical Dispatch Centre Maribor, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SloveniaUniversity of Maribor Library, Maribor, SloveniaIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USAChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, PA, USAChildren’s Hospital Los Angeles & Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, CA, USAUniversity of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Department of Surgical Science, University of Torino, Torino, ItalyAim: In recent years, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies have gained increasing attention as innovative tools for education, including in the field of adult Basic Life Support (BLS). While existing reviews on this topic primarily focus on comparing VR/AR with other educational approaches, our research aimed to identify the VR/AR hardware and software applications assessed in published studies and their alignment with learning objectives in adult BLS education. Methods: We conducted a scoping literature review using the Population, Exposure, and Outcome (PEO) framework to analyse publications from 2018 to 2024. The review focused on the impact of VR/AR (exposure) on affective, behavioral, and cognitive learning outcomes (outcome) in adult BLS education among laypersons, healthcare professionals, pre-licensure students, and duty-to-respond laypersons (population). Results: From 1,282 database records and 54 alternative sources, 31 articles were selected for comprehensive analysis. Many of the studies (11/31; 36%) targeted pre-licensure students, such as nursing students, and laypersons (9/31; 20%), primarily high school students. Only one study focused on duty-to-respond laypersons (1/31; 3%). VR studies (24/31; 77%) were more common than AR studies (6/31; 19%), featuring a broad spectrum of ten VR headsets compared to just two types of AR headsets. Among the assessed software applications, twenty-one commercial programs were examined—sixteen designed for VR and five for AR. Most studies investigated affective outcomes (25/31; 81%), while behavioural outcomes were also commonly examined (22/31; 71%). In contrast, cognitive outcomes were explored in fewer studies (9/31; 29%). Conclusion: Our review identified several challenges in existing studies, including variability in software and hardware, diverse learning outcomes, and accessibility issues with extended reality (XR) technology. To maximize its effectiveness, XR should be aligned with specific learning objectives rather than adopted for its novelty. Prioritizing educational efficacy ensures that XR enhances learning by addressing precise gaps, ultimately improving the understanding and retention of resuscitation skills among both laypersons and healthcare professionals.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520425000645Extended realityImmersive technologyVirtual realityAugmented realityAdult basic life supportHeadsets
spellingShingle Nino Fijačko
Špela Metličar
Boža Janžekovič
Benjamin S. Abella
Vinay M. Nadkarni
Todd P. Chang
Robert Greif
Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review
Resuscitation Plus
Extended reality
Immersive technology
Virtual reality
Augmented reality
Adult basic life support
Headsets
title Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review
title_full Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review
title_fullStr Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review
title_short Extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education: A scoping review
title_sort extended reality technologies in adult basic life support education a scoping review
topic Extended reality
Immersive technology
Virtual reality
Augmented reality
Adult basic life support
Headsets
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666520425000645
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