HCC-Medium: Mixed Reality Virtual Humans for Training

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This research project will incorporate haptics and devices into "virtual humans" to investigate interpersonal interactions with medical students and these simulated patients. Prior virtual human work has identified that the lowered engagement level of students and the lack of haptics hampered the fidelity and applicability of virtual human experiences. To enhance human-virtual-human experiences, this project will develop and evaluate mixed reality humans. Mixed reality humans (MRH) in this project will integrate haptics, physical objects, and physiological monitoring to form simulated conversational partners. MRHs will be evaluated in a series of studies with students in the health profession. As part of coursework, students will experience a series of Human-MRH interactions. The impact of MRHs on interpersonal patient scenarios will be evaluated with behavioral, physiological, and self-report measures.The developed MRHs will be integrated into course work of medical, nursing, and physician assistant students. These students will be provided new opportunities to practice interpersonal scenarios associated with intimate exams. Intimate exams tend to be high-anxiety interactions, and include exams of the breast, pelvic, and prostate. Improving student communication skills in intimate exams has the potential to directly impact patient care quality and patient outcomes. It is difficult to provide technology-based experience with these exams with existing technologies; thus there is good potential for impact through development and research of MRHs. This technology will also be integrated into a health exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL. The exhibit will have thousands of visitors interacting with virtual human doctors and patients to receive important health information while interacting with and experiencing the affective capabilities of virtual humans.