Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40218081›Full record

ReviewHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Exploring the Efficacy of Virtual Reality Training in Obstetric Procedures and Patient Care-A Systematic Review.

Ioana Gabriela Visan, Cristian Valentin Toma, Razvan Petca, George E D Petrescu, Aniela-Roxana Noditi, Aida Petca

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ioana Gabriela VisanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.ORCID 0000-0001-6134-0728
Cristian Valentin TomaDepartment of Urology, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-4396-8081
Razvan PetcaDepartment of Urology, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-4496-1535
George E D PetrescuDepartment of Neurosurgery, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.ORCID 0000-0003-2651-3608
Aniela-Roxana NoditiDepartment of Surgical Oncology, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.
Aida PetcaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania.ORCID 0000-0002-4890-0978

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAs technology continues to shape society, younger generations are increasingly accustomed to its integration into daily life, making it mandatory for medical educators to adopt innovative tools like virtual reality (VR). This systematic review examines the efficacy of VR in obstetric training and patient care, focusing on its impact on educational engagement, procedural skill acquisition, and pain management in obstetric patients.

methodsA systematic review of the current literature was conducted using databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov analyzing randomized controlled studies on VR's use in obstetric training and patient care. Inclusion criteria focused on studies evaluating VR's role in enhancing clinical skills, and pain and anxiety management during labor and procedures. Only randomized controlled trials published in English were considered. The risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 for RCTs. Data extraction and quality appraisal were performed independently by two reviewers.

resultsA total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 13 studies focused on VR for pain relief and anxiety reduction, and 5 studies on medical training and skill acquisition. Most studies used immersive VR headsets, while some utilized interactive VR or serious gaming platforms. Adverse effects such as motion sickness and visual discomfort were reported in a few cases but did not significantly impact participant engagement.

conclusionsVR holds the potential to improve obstetric training and patient care by aligning with the learning preferences of younger generations and enhancing both educational and patient care experiences. However, heterogeneity in sample sizes, participants, and intervention types limits generalizability. Further large-scale, high-quality RCTs are needed to validate findings and standardize VR applications in obstetrics. This review was registered in PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD42024619197).

Indexed as

medical simulationmedical trainingobstetrics and gynecologypacient carevirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID40218081
PMCPMC11988574

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.