Testing AREduX with HCPs and Caregivers of People Living with Dementia: A Work in Progress

Given the lack of empathy training programs for healthcare providers (HCPs), our ongoing research is examining empathy and its role in caring for PLWD and as part of this research effort, recently introduced the Augmented Reality Education Experience (AREduX) virtual simulation prototype AREduX utilizes augmented reality to simulate the physical and cognitive symptoms of dementia, aiming to enhance empathy among HCPs and caregivers. Our ongoing research involves five phases, and this paper outlines the outcome of Phase 3: usability testing of the AREduX prototype with end users, including HCPs and caregivers of PLWD, to examine the functionality, clarity of content, ease of use, and user interface. We anticipate that AREduX will contribute significantly to the scientific understanding of empathy development, address knowledge gaps, and offer recommendations for implementing AR in experiential education for HCPs and PLWD caregivers.