Virtual reality simulation in endoscopy training: Current evidence and future directions

Virtual reality simulation is becoming the standard when beginning endoscopic training. It offers various benefits including learning in a low-stakes environment, improvement of patient safety and optimization of valuable endoscopy time. This is a review of the evidence surrounding virtual reality simulation and its efficacy in teaching endoscopic techniques. There have been 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have investigated virtual reality simulation as a teaching tool in endoscopy. 10 RCTs studied virtual reality in colonoscopy, 3 in flexible sigmoidoscopy, 5 in esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and 3 in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. RCTs reported many outcomes including distance advanced in colonoscopy, comprehensive assessment of technical and non-technical skills, and patient comfort. Generally, these RCTs reveal that trainees with virtual reality simulation based learning improve in all of these areas in the beginning of the learning process. Virtual reality simulation was not effective as a replacement of conventional teaching methods. Additionally, feedback was shown to be an essential part of the learning process. Overall, virtual reality endoscopic simulation is emerging as a necessary augment to conventional learning given the ever increasing importance of patient safety and increasingly valuable endoscopy time; although work is still needed to study the nuances surrounding its integration into curriculum.