SkillsLab+—A New Way to Teach Practical Medical Skills in an Augmented Reality Application With Haptic Feedback

Digital technologies have transformed medical care and education by providing rapid access to knowledge and advanced methods, such as augmented reality and haptic feedback. These technologies are improving the efficiency of healthcare professionals and the quality of medical education. Particularly in Germany, where a shortage of skilled workers and an aging population are increasing pressure on the healthcare system, digital methods can help to optimize workflows and improve training. The integration of haptic feedback in this context makes it possible to make virtual objects tangible, increasing immersion and ultimately learning success. The application presented, SkillsLab+, uses augmented reality and haptic feedback via a data glove to provide a digitized version of the analog SkillsLab medical training programme. SkillsLab+ was evaluated using standardized questionnaires (Igroup Presence Questionnaire, presence, and haptic questionnaires). In order to determine the learning outcomes of the students, an AB test was carried out comparing the final grades. At the same time, a subjective questionnaire was used to assess whether students felt better prepared for the exam. In this context, this article aims to evaluate the learning success and compare the results with the previous proof of concept study of 2022. The results of the comparison show an improvement in the responses to the SkillsLab+ questionnaire in 2023. The result of the examination also improved compared to the group without AR experience. This shows the improvement in application and learning with the help of augmented reality and haptic feedback. They were more confident, had better results, and felt better prepared for the exams.