MediSim: VR Care Simulator

Posted on by Steven McDermott

Team Name

MediSim

Timeline

Spring 2025 – Summer 2025

Students

  • Logan Wells – Computer Science
  • Chris Atuti – Computer Science
  • Marshal Marks – Computer Science
  • Waheeb Mussa – Computer Science

Sponsor

Dr. Shawn Gieser

Abstract

MediSim is a VR-based nursing simulation platform designed to improve training for hospice and palliative care. By immersing nursing students and practicing nurses in realistic hospice scenarios, MediSim aims to enhance learning outcomes, empathy, and procedural confidence in a safe, controlled environment. Our solution leverages interactive 3D environments, decision-driven scenarios, and responsive feedback to better prepare healthcare workers for the nuanced challenges of end-of-life care.

Background

There is a growing demand for improved hospice and palliative care, but traditional nursing education often lacks hands-on, realistic exposure to the emotional and clinical complexities involved. Existing simulations are either cost-prohibitive or lack immersion. MediSim was developed to fill this gap by providing an accessible, cost-effective, and highly realistic VR training tool focused on key hospice competencies such as patient comfort, symptom management, communication with families, and ethical decision-making.

Project Requirements

  1. Multiple Realistic Scenarios: The simulation must offer four distinct, interactive scenarios reflecting real-world hospice care situations, each with different challenges and objectives.
  2. Immersive VR Experience: Users must be able to interact with patients, families, and medical environments using Meta Quest 2 headsets.
  3. User Guidance and Tutorials: A comprehensive tutorial must be included, teaching users how to navigate, use controls, interact with assets, and perform in-simulation tasks.
  4. Performance Optimization: The simulation must maintain a stable frame rate to prevent motion sickness and ensure a comfortable user experience.
  5. Accurate Asset Interactivity: All medical tools, environmental elements, and UI components must be interactive and respond realistically to user actions.
  6. Accessibility: The system must be designed for ease of use, with intuitive menus, customizable control mapping, and support for users with varying levels of VR experience.
  7. Feedback and Assessment: After completing scenarios, users must receive feedback on their actions, including performance, accuracy, and adherence to care protocols.
  8. Compatibility: The software must be fully compatible with all Meta Quest 2 headsets, supporting wireless (tetherless) operation.
  9. Safety Considerations: Movement options must be restricted and optimized to minimize motion sickness and prevent user discomfort, with clear safety instructions and easy access to pause or exit.
  10. Data Management and Maintenance: The system must include robust bug tracking, support for future Unity and firmware updates, and secure handling of any user data or progress tracking.

Design Constraints

  • Interoperability: MediSim was developed in Unity to maximize compatibility and portability. This allows the simulation to be easily adapted for other VR platforms beyond Meta Quest 2 in the future if needed.
  • Aesthetics: Realism is a key priority in MediSim, with visual environments and interactions designed to reflect authentic hospice care settings. Due to our project’s academic timeline and resource limits, some visual assets were sourced or adapted to balance realism with feasibility.
  • Cost: As a student project, MediSim had to be developed using free or low-cost tools and assets. Unity and C# were selected because they are free for academic use. All hardware and asset choices were made with a strict focus on affordability without sacrificing training quality.
  • Safety: Motion sickness and user safety are primary concerns in VR. MediSim includes restricted movement options and optimizes for steady frame rates to minimize motion discomfort. The simulation also provides clear instructions and easy access to pause/exit at any time.
  • Usability: The control scheme is designed to follow standard VR conventions so that users, especially those unfamiliar with VR, can learn quickly. Menus are simple and intuitive, and users can customize controls for preferences.

Engineering Standards

  • 1. Unity and C# Development Standards: Code follows best practices for Unity VR development and ISO/IEC 23270 (C# Programming Language Standard).
  • 2. VR Optimization and Performance: MediSim meets Meta Quest 2 VR Performance Guidelines, including stable frame rates (≥72 FPS), optimized rendering, and efficient memory usage.
  • 3. Accessibility: ADA and Meta Quest Accessibility Standards are considered in UI and control design, including large, readable text and controls.
  • 4. Safety & Comfort: The project adheres to VR Health and Safety Guidelines (ISO 9241-112:2017, IEEE VR 2023), implementing features to prevent motion sickness and eye strain.
  • 5. Version Control: Plastic SCM is used for robust version management, and codebase maintenance aligns with ISO 23270 software maintenance practices.

System Overview

MediSim is a VR training simulation for hospice nursing, built with Unity and targeting Meta Quest2 headsets. It features four interactive scenarios, each presenting different end-of-life care challenges. Users navigate immersive environments, interact with patients and families, and make clinical decisions using Oculus Touch controllers. The simulation includes a tutorial, main menu for scenario selection, and an in-game pause menu. Performance is tracked, and feedback is given at the end of each scenario to help learners improve their skills. Emphasis is placed on realistic dialogue, hands-on practice, and scenario branching to reflect real-world variability in palliative care.

Results

MediSim delivers a reliable and engaging VR simulation for hospice care training. User feedback highlights improved confidence with clinical skills and greater empathy for patients and families. The system runs smoothly on Meta Quest 2, maintaining stable performance and comfort during extended sessions.

Future Work

Future development will focus on expanding patient diversity (adding more backgrounds, ages, and health conditions), incorporating AI-driven virtual patients for richer interactions, and developing new home environments to enhance realism. Plans also include additional accessibility features, extended scenario libraries, and research partnerships to further validate educational impact.

Project Files

Project Charter
System Requirements Specification
Architectural Design Specification
Detailed Design Specification
Poster
Closeout Materials

References

  1. IEEE Standards Association. “AI Ethics Guidelines for Medical AI Development,” 2021.
  2. ISO/IEC 23270:2021 – C# Programming Language Standard.
  3. Texas Board of Nursing. “Rules and Regulations on Palliative Care Training,” 2024.
  4. Meta Quest Developer Team. “Memory Optimization Guidelines for VR Applications,” 2023.
  5. ISO 9241-112:2017 (Visual Display Ergonomics), VR Health Safety Guidelines (Meta and IEEE VR 2023).
  6. Unity Technologies. “Best Practices for VR Development.”
  7. ADA Accessibility Guidelines.

Steven McDermott

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