Virtual reality boosts empathy in Doctors-in-Training, study finds
NCT ID NCT06351397
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a mixed reality simulation of a medical crisis could increase empathy in anesthesiology trainees. 81 participants wore a headset that added holographic elements to a real training scenario. They filled out empathy surveys before and after the simulation to measure any changes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Mixed reality simulation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward new ways to train empathy in healthcare professionals using immersive technology.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with no phase, so results may not apply broadly. It measures self-reported empathy, not actual patient outcomes.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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81 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 99 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Trainees or personnel working and/or volunteering at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford / Stanford Health Care facilities * 18 years and older Exclusion Criteria: * a history of severe motion sickness * currently have nausea * have a history of seizures * are uncomfortable wearing a \~7 pound weighted vest.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford
Palo Alto, California, 94303, United States
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