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Virtual and Augmented Reality versus Traditional Methods for Teaching Physiotherapy

A Systematic Review

Bibliographic Data

ID16946130
AuthorsDavid Lucena-Anton (0000-0003-2441-5342), Juan Carlos Fernandez-Lopez (0000-0003-3680-4193), Ana I Pacheco-Serrano, Cristina Garcia-Munoz (0000-0003-2621-2098), José A Moral-Muñoz (0000-0002-6465-982X)
Year2022
Volume12
Issue12
Pages1780-1792
Publication date2022-12-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2174-8144 • E-ISSN: 2254-9625
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/ejihpe12120125
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited32

The use of virtual worlds in health-related education is increasingly popular, but an overview of their use in physiotherapy education is still needed. The aim of this review was to analyse the use of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) compared to traditional methods for teaching physiotherapy. A systematic review was performed up to October 2022 in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and PsycInfo. The quality appraisal and risk of bias were assessed by the Joana Briggs Institute checklist and the Cochrane Collaboration’s RoB Tool 2.0, respectively. A total of seven randomised and non-randomised controlled studies were included, involving 737 students. VR/AR-based teaching approaches included simulation and virtual worlds, and were conducted through immersive head-mounted displays, AR-based applications, and 3D visualisations. Three studies were focused on teaching anatomy content, two on clinical decision making skills, and the rest were focused on pathology, physiotherapy tasks or exercise performance, and movement analysis of lower limbs. Inconclusive results were found in terms of learning satisfaction and academic performance, showing VR/AR-based teaching models to be equally effective as traditional methods for teaching physiotherapy. We encourage researchers and teachers to include games in their VR/AR-based teaching approaches to enhance interaction and active learning in physiotherapy education

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Citations per year4
Citation span2025 - 2026 (2)
Highly citedNo

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