Development of Virtual Reality SBIRT Skill Training with Conversational AI in Nursing Education

Abstract

The paper presents the process of conversational AI patient design and development for SBIRT skills training. SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) is a comprehensive public behavior health approach that is commonly used by nurses and social workers to detect potential substance abuse in their patients. In the VR exam room, a nursing student practices SBIRT skills with a virtual patient powered by a conversational AI system. The development of the VR patient system was started by collecting sample dialogs from a standardized patient and a nurse practitioner. In addition, extended conversations were collected through prototypes with different interaction modes. With the intelligent virtual patient, the “SBIRT VR Training Program'’ provides the user with a diverse selection of simulated environments and personalized training. Our research focuses on the efficacy of a VR-based conversational AI training on a student’s acquisition and retention of the SBIRT training material.