Background. Developing healthcare competencies in students and professionals poses great educational challenges. A possible solution is to provide learning opportunities that utilize augmented reality (AR), where virtual learning experiences can be embedded within a real physical context. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of AR in terms of user acceptance, the AR applications currently developed and the effect of AR on the development of competencies in healthcare. Methods. We conducted an integrative review, which is the broadest type of research review method allowing for the inclusion of various research designs. This allows us to more fully understand a phenomenon of interest. Our review included multi-disciplinary research publications in English reported until 2012. Results. We found 2 529 research papers from ERIC, CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science and Springer-link. Three qualitative, twenty quantitative and two mixed-method studies were included. Using thematic analysis, we have described characteristics for research, technology and education. This study showed that AR was applied across a wide range of topics in healthcare education. Furthermore, acceptance for AR as a learning technology was reported among the learners, as well as its potential for improving different types of competencies. Discussion. AR is still considered a novelty in the literature, with most of the studies reporting early prototypes. Additionally, the designed AR applications lacked an explicit pedagogical theoretical framework. Instead, the learning strategies adopted were of the traditional style ‘see one, do one and teach one’ and do not integrate clinical competencies to ensure patients’ safety.
Augmented reality in healthcare education: an integrative review