Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control-Online Journal

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Article in Japanese

Infection Control Education Using Virtual Reality (VR)

Keitaro OMORI
Department of Infectious Diseases, Hiroshima University Hospital

Appropriate hand hygiene and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential procedures for infection control, yet compliance remain suboptional. In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a valuable educational tool across various fields, including medical education.
Hiroshima University, in collaboration with VR production company Jolly Good Inc., developed VR content aimed at infectious disease education to train medical personnel managing infectious risks. This content was filmed with a 360-degree camera in an actual hospital room, allowing students to engage in immersive, realistic simulations. The program educate user on the importance and procedure of standard precautions and contact infection prevention through narration, explanatory videos, and on-screen tickers. An evaluation of its educational effectiveness showed that medical students in the VR group scored significantly higher on hand hygiene and PPE donning and doffing compared to those who received conventional lecture-style learning. Questionnaire responses indicate that VR-based learning enhance motivation and concentration by providing a realistic simulated experience.
This article discusses the effectiveness and challenges of using VR as a tool for medical and infectious disease education, based on previous reports and our experience.

Key words：virtual reality (VR), hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), 360-degree camera, computer graphics (CG)

e-mail: a722＠hiroshima-u.ac.jp

Received: May 1, 2025
Accepted: May 19, 2025

40 (4)：164─167,2025