Abstract:

According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), healthcare systems can only function thanks to health workers, and improving the coverage of health services as well as ensuring the right to the highest attainable standard of health depends on their availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality. WHO estimates that by 2030, the global shortage of health workers will reach approximately 11 million, primarily in low- and lower-middle-income countries. However, countries at all levels of socio-economic development face, to varying degrees, challenges related to the education, employment, distribution, retention, and performance of the health workforce.

Underinvestment in education and training of healthcare workers in some countries, as well as the mismatch between education and employment strategies and the actual needs of healthcare systems and populations, contribute to persistent workforce shortages. These challenges are further compounded by difficulties in deploying healthcare workers to rural, remote, and underserved areas.

Therefore, there is a need to seek solutions that require, among other things, a transformation in the way healthcare services are delivered, including redefining who provides care, how it is delivered, and how access to care is ensured.

The aim of this paper is to analyse the potential of virtual reality (VR) technologies in addressing systemic challenges in healthcare workforce education, with particular emphasis on the training of healthcare assistants, and to propose the concept of CARELAB as an innovative digital solution supporting the development of both practical and soft care competencies.

In this context, modern technologies—particularly virtual reality (VR)—are becoming not only a valuable addition but a real solution to systemic problems. VR enables immersive training in a realistic and fully controlled environment, where learners can repeatedly practice medical, hygiene, and communication procedures as often as needed, without any risk to patients. Examples from implementations in the United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States show that the cost of a single VR session can be several times lower than traditional simulation using mannequins, while achieving comparable educational outcomes.

Post-secondary schools, vocational training centres, and medical universities are increasingly seeking tools that enable them to prepare students in a modern and effective way for working with patients. VR not only allows for practicing care techniques but also supports the development of soft skills such as empathy, communication in crisis situations, and stress management. It also provides opportunities for learning through mistakes. Additionally, it enables full documentation of learning progress, performance analysis, and personalization of individual learning pathways.

In summary, the rationale for undertaking research on this topic can be defined by several key factors such as: the projected shortage of healthcare personnel in the coming years; underinvestment in education and training of healthcare workers, the development of immersive technologies (VR, AR), which create opportunities to revolutionize training processes by transferring learners into realistic simulation environments without the need for physical presence in hospitals or training centres.

Keywords:

Virtual Reality (VR), Healthcare Workforce Education, Caregiver Training.