Building Insight for Better Dementia Care: Virtual Reality and Communication Training for Future Doctors

At any one time 1 in 4 hospital beds are occupied by people living with dementia. Patients can present with a complexity of cognitive and physical symptoms which can be exasperated by a hospital admission -triggering distress, confusion and often deconditioning. Small actions can reduce agitation, yet many medical professionals feel unprepared for these interactions. This mixed method study aimed to improve medical students’ skills and attitudes before placements in older people’s medicine, promoting compassionate, patient-centred dementia care. Students engaged in an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience, followed by a specialised communication workshop using validated models of dementia-focused communication and roleplay. Students who took part in the training showed significant improved attitudes towards caring for people living with dementia compared to controls, and student reflections suggest that combining VR and specialised communication training enhances preparedness and empathy in clinical practice.