The American Academy of Pediatrics & Bodyswaps Launch VR Module to Tackle Implicit Biases in Global Healthcare

The largest professional association of paediatricians in the US has partnered with Bodyswaps to create and launch a virtual reality simulation as part of their Global Health Education portfolio to tackle implicit bias.

LONDON, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Bodyswaps announce the launch of their virtual reality module, Equity & Anti-Racism, designed for healthcare professionals to address their implicit biases before embarking on global health experiences.

Recent studies show that implicit bias among healthcare professionals contributes to health disparities, negatively impacting a patient's experience and potential health outcomes. The module provides a risk-free, psychologically safe environment for healthcare professionals to explore their implicit biases and ensure better patient outcomes by providing equal and inclusive care.

Through Bodyswaps' immersive simulations and AI-powered feedback and guidance, healthcare professionals will learn and be empowered to:

• Recognise, reflect on and mitigate implicit bias.
• Prepare themselves for meaningful (and sometimes uncomfortable) conversations around inequity, racism, systems of oppression and structural violence, and the legacies of colonialism and neo-colonialism.

"Recognizing and unlearning our biases can feel hard, but it is so essential to improving patient outcomes. VR provides a powerful way to practice how to improve our communication in a safe environment that can even be fun," said Janna Patterson, MD, MPH, FAAP, Senior Vice President of Global Child Health and Life Support at the AAP.

The module comes at a time when VR is becoming widely accepted and advocated by medical facilities and professionals. 82% of healthcare professionals agree that VR creates a convenient way of accessing and learning information for medical students and practising healthcare professionals.

"We're thrilled to partner with the AAP to create a progressive, immersive training experience for global health practitioners to add to their learning toolbox," said Bodyswaps Co-Founder and CEO Christophe Mallet.

"We're at an exciting time right now with how technology, particularly VR, XR and AI, can be used within healthcare, making tremendous positive change for medical professionals and their patients. When we think of VR in healthcare, soft skills aren't the first thing that comes to mind. However, they're no less important or valuable than hard skills, particularly in global health, where implicit bias can be a risk".

Find out more about the module here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of 67,000 pediatricians committed to optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

For more information about AAP, visit https://www.aap.org/

Bodyswaps is an award-winning VR platform that brings realistic simulations and AI-enabled feedback to soft skills training. Learners can practise and fail safely without repercussions while building the communication, teamwork and leadership skills needed for successful careers.

For more information, visit www.bodyswaps.co or follow us on Linkedin (Bodyswaps) and Twitter (Bodyswaps_VR).

Press contact
Paige Parrington
paige@bodyswaps.co
+44 07703649024

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