Virtual reality versus face-to-face CPR training: stress effects in medical students
Official title: The Effect of Basic Life Support Training in a Virtual Environment on Perceived Stress and Measured Stress Responses Compared to Conventional Basic Life Support Training
Run by Oulu University Hospital · NCT07147322 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether virtual reality CPR training leads to different stress levels than traditional face-to-face CPR training for undergraduate medical students.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 30 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Oulu University Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Oulu, North Ostrobothnia) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | August 13, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | August 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | August 29, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07147322 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are healthy first- or second-year medical students aged 18–30 with no known heart disease, no physical limitations to performing chest compressions, and no BLS training within the past six months.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with prior healthcare experience, recent BLS training, pregnancy, known heart disease, or physical limitations to chest compressions are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Healthy first- and second-year medical students (ages 18–30) will be assigned to either conventional instructor-led basic life support (BLS) training or immersive virtual reality (VR) BLS training using head-mounted displays that simulate a public cardiac arrest. The study measures acute stress responses with continuous heart rate and heart rate variability monitoring and with validated self-reported stress and mental workload questionnaires. Secondary measures include VR-related physical symptoms (nausea, dizziness), perceived realism, and usability of the VR environment. The goal is to compare physiological and psychological stress during the two training formats and explore VR's suitability for BLS education.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, VR-based BLS training could make hands-on CPR practice more scalable and may reduce acute training-related stress, improving learner readiness for real cardiac arrests.
How similar studies have gone: Previous simulation and VR training studies have shown promising improvements in engagement and skill retention but mixed findings on stress reduction and occasional VR side effects like nausea, so VR is promising but not yet definitively proven for stress outcomes.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Volunteers (18-30 years old) will be recruited from first- and second-year medical students * Participants must be healthy young individuals with no known heart disease, normal physical performance capacity, and no current physical limitations that would affect the ability to perform chest compressions. Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant individuals will not be included * Individuals with previous healthcare experience will not be included. * Participants must not have received basic life support training within the past six months.
Where it's running
-
Knoppi - Clinical Skills Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu
Oulu, North Ostrobothnia, Finland Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Pasi M Lehto — Research group of Anaesthesiology, Medical Research Unit of Translational Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Study coordinator: Pasi M Lehto
- Email: pasi.lehto@oulu.fi
- Phone: +358414341480
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.