OSCE 3D: a virtual clinical skills assessment tool for coronavirus pandemic times

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: In pandemic times, in which the “lockdown strategy” has been adopted, the use of innovations using technological resources such as the creation of instruments that can replace traditional teaching-learning methods in the training of health professionals is essential. Objective: the aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the usability of a realistic interactive simulation computer system using three-dimensional imaging technology and virtual reality with free-access computational tools available on the web. Methods: the development of a prototype (OSCE 3D) was based on the steps used for the construction of a “Serious Game” simulation software. The free-access version of the Unity Editor 3D platform (Unity Technologies, version 2018), used for developing educational games, the software GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP, version 2.10.12), Blender (version 2.79) and MakeHuman (version 1.1.1) were utilized for creating textures and building models of the 3D environments. An experimental phase was carried out to assess usability, through a questionnaire based on the System Usability Scale. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the institution and all participants signed the Informed Consent Form. Results: a total of 39 undergraduate medical students attending the 6th semester of a private university center of northeastern Brazil voluntarily participated in the evaluation of the OSCE 3D. The usability evaluation resulted in a mean score of 75.4 with a margin of error of 3.2, which is considered a good usability score according to the literature. Conclusions: this study allowed the development of a low-cost prototype, using a three-dimension realistic simulation system for clinical skills assessment. This product, even in the prototype phase, showed good usability.