Augmented reality as a tool for authentic learning of clinical skills in early years of medical training

To ensure adequate skill competencies, many medical schools with large student cohorts have introduced clinical skills practice in the early years. However, the range of clinical signs that can be simulated on a standardised patient (SP) – an actor, is limited while physical elicitation of clinical signs on authentic patients by numerous novice students or on themselves as peers, may be discomforting or unsafe. Augmented Reality (AR) has the affordance of incorporating the virtual to a real life clinical space unlike a fully virtual environment (virtual reality). AR of real-life clinical signs can allow simultaneous authentic learning and multiple clinical skills practice and addresses the concerns of discomfort of clinical skills practices of actual patients by novice medical students. A literature review on current instances of AR technology to aid authentic learning of clinical skills is discussed in light of these affordances. Alongside, our pilot work on developing an AR application - Clinical Augmented Reality Objects in Physical Examination (CAROPE), for the simulation of gastrointestinal signs is illustrated briefly. CAROPE has shown that mobile learning through AR of authentic clinical signs superimposed on specific areas of the body is achievable and accessible with current technology and has the potential in enhancing learning and facilitating clinical skills practice.