Impact of ‘A Walk-Through Dementia’ immersive virtual reality app on care delivered by undergraduate healthcare students: a mixed methods study

Background A Walk Through Dementia (AWTD) is a learning resource that shows dementia from the perspective of people with the condition. Its three 360-degree simulation films depict a person with dementia in different everyday situations and can be viewed online or on a smartphone using an app. Aim To evaluate how first-year undergraduate healthcare students react to the AWTD app, what they learn from it and the influence it has on their clinical practice during placements. Method The app was used as a learning tool during two dementia training days attended by 414 students at Bournemouth University. Data were collected on the day via a post-training survey and four months later via two focus groups with a small purposive sample of students. Findings The survey was completed by 271 of the 414 students (65% response rate) and 11 students participated in the focus groups. Survey respondents found the app easy to use and engaging. They reported a deeper understanding of dementia and felt that the app had changed their attitude towards people with dementia. Focus group participants discussed how they approached people with dementia with more awareness, more confidence and in a more person-centred manner. Conclusion There are potential benefits of using the AWTD app in dementia education for undergraduate healthcare students, but further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness as a learning tool.