Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Artif Intell Gastrointest Endosc. Jun 8, 2024; 5(2): 92090
Published online Jun 8, 2024. doi: 10.37126/aige.v5.i2.92090
Virtual reality tools for training in gastrointestinal endoscopy: A systematic review
Tuấn Quang Dương, Jonathan Soldera
Tuấn Quang Dương, Department of Acute Medicine, University of South Wales, Cardiff CF37 1DL, United Kingdom
Jonathan Soldera, Department of Acute Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of South Wales, Cardiff CF37 1DL, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Dương QT and Soldera J participated in the concept and design research, drafted the manuscript and contributed to data acquisition, analysis and interpretation; Soldera J contributed to study supervision. All authors contributed to critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare to have no conflict of interest.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jonathan Soldera, MD, MSc, PhD, Instructor, Department of Acute Medicine and Gastroenterology, University of South Wales, Cardiff CF37 1DL, United Kingdom. jonathansoldera@gmail.com
Received: January 14, 2024
Revised: February 11, 2024
Accepted: April 7, 2024
Published online: June 8, 2024
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an innovative technology in endoscopy training, providing a simulated environment that closely resembles real-life scenarios and offering trainees a valuable platform to acquire and enhance their endoscopic skills. This systematic review will critically evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of VR-based training compared to traditional methods.

AIM

To evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of VR-based training compared to traditional methods. By examining the current state of the field, this review seeks to identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for further research and implemen-tation of VR in endoscopic training.

METHODS

The study is a systematic review, following the guidelines for reporting systematic reviews set out by the PRISMA statement. A comprehensive search command was designed and implemented and run in September 2023 to identify relevant studies available, from electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. The results were systematically reviewed.

RESULTS

Sixteen articles were included in the final analysis. The total number of participants was 523. Five studies focused on both upper endoscopy and colonoscopy training, two on upper endoscopy training only, eight on colon-oscopy training only, and one on sigmoidoscopy training only. Gastro-intestinal Mentor virtual endoscopy simulator was commonly used. Fifteen reported positive results, indicating that VR-based training was feasible and acceptable for endoscopy learners. VR technology helped the trainees enhance their skills in manipulating the endoscope, reducing the procedure time or increasing the technical accuracy, in VR scenarios and real patients. Some studies show that the patient discomfort level decreased significantly. However, some studies show there were no significant differences in patient discomfort and pain scores between VR group and other groups.

CONCLUSION

VR training is effective for endoscopy training. There are several well-designed randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes, proving the potential of this innovative tool. Thus, VR should be more widely adopted in endoscopy training. Furthermore, combining VR training with conventional methods could be a promising approach that should be implemented in training.

Keywords: Virtual reality, Gastrointestinal endoscopy, Systematic review, Virtual reality training, Simulation

Core Tip: Virtual reality (VR) is a promising tool in endoscopy training. This systematic review assessed VR's effectiveness and feasibility. Sixteen articles were analyzed, with 15 reporting positive results. VR training enhanced endoscopy skills, reducing procedure time and increasing accuracy in both VR scenarios and real patients. Patient discomfort also decreased significantly. VR training is effective and should be widely adopted in endoscopy training. Combining VR with conventional methods could further enhance training.