Table 4 Category counts from the pre-intervention questionnaire

Did the module meet your expectations?

Included question(s):

• Did the module content meet your expectations?

• Did the module learning outcomes meet your expectations?

Frequent categories:

• Feedback on module (17).

• Communication skills (14).

• Practice (9).

• Navigating own and others’ emotions (8).

• De-escalation (4).

I felt as though the module was well put together and helped navigate angry conversations with clear outcomes starting from observing to finally putting skills into practice. (6)

I really liked the way calming techniques were presented during scenarios and the way different verbal cues were presented. (12)

Module feedback and experience

Included question(s):

• Was the tailored feedback you received helpful?

• Did you find it helpful to experience your communication from the other person’s perspective?

Frequent categories:

• Personalised feedback (10).

• Awareness of impact of own body language and emotion (8).

• Feedback on module (8).

• Practice (4).

It was good to have the statistics about how I did during the consultation, but I think that exercise isn’t a mirror of how I would perform in clinical practice. (17).

I never really considered the effect of the variation in my tone before and I thought it was very helpful to see the range of answers and responses that can be said to defuse a situation. (19)

Do you feel better prepared to have a conversation with someone who is angry

Included question(s):

• Do you feel better able to manage a conversation with someone who is angry?

Frequent categories:

• Navigating own and others’ emotions (11).

• Communication skills (10).

Learning about the subtle signs of when someone might be angry was really helpful and is hopefully something I can use in practice. Also, techniques to calm myself down were helpful, so hopefully these will help in dealing with angry patients. (3)

Because, it gave me techniques to use and allowed me to practise and then provided feedback which told me that I was using the techniques successfully. (4)

Virtual learning as a teaching method inc. preferences

Included question(s):

• Did this virtual learning experience meet your expectations as a teaching method?

• Would you prefer to complete this module as a virtual learning experience or with traditional teaching methods (e.g. lectures, small groups, role play)?

• Would you prefer to complete this module using immersive VR or via the desktop app?

Frequent categories:

• Comparison of modalities (21).

• Use of virtual learning for education (19).

• Realism (15).

• Feedback on module (15).

• Safety (6).

• Virtual learning (6).

Virtual is really great for having a go at diffusing situations in an environment where you feel you won’t be judged and feel comfortable at making mistakes. The only mode of learning that I feel will be better for more senior medical students will be role plays (not lectures etc.) as this best emulates real-life situations. I feel this virtual learning is best for more junior medical students and HCPs. (10)

Definitely more interactive and forced me to think/participate so I got more out of the experience. I prefer roleplay as it is real humans/actors but I often don’t get involved and let others do the talking. (7)