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These dynamic, three-dimensional processes occur internally and are not directly observable, making them challenging to teach with traditional methods. Virtual Reality (VR) offers unique potential to visualize such complex, invisible mechanisms. This nationwide survey assessed the perceived need, curricular contexts, and preferred content for a high-fidelity VR application to teach birth mechanics in midwifery and medical education.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>An anonymous, digital survey was distributed to all study programs in midwifery science and medicine in Germany via program coordinators, department heads, and teaching leads in obstetrics and gynecology. Separate questionnaires for students and teaching professionals included 17 items on demographics, prior VR experience, attitudes toward VR, curricular timing, relevant learning objectives, and prioritized birth mechanics deviations. Responses were collected using Likert scales and multiple-choice questions, with non-parametric group comparisons (Mann\u2013Whitney U, Chi-square test) and Bonferroni correction.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 1,249 complete responses were analyzed with 22.4% (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009280) teaching professionals and 77.6% (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009969) students; 65.7% (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009821) medicine, 34.3% (\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u2009428) midwifery. Overall, 76.3% reported a high or very high need for VR, and 90.2% held a positive or rather positive attitude toward its use. Midwifery teaching professionals reported more prior VR experience (56.7%) than medical ones (12.7%). Midwifery students favored early integration, while medical students preferred later, clinically oriented phases. The most frequently prioritized deviations in birth mechanics were occiput posterior position (73.3%), breech presentation (51.4%), and direct occiput position with high station (44.0%), with notable differences between disciplines and educational roles.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study reveals a strong perceived need for a VR application uniting anatomical accuracy with the dynamic processes of childbirth. Birth mechanics deviations were considered particularly suitable for simulation when they represent significant clinical challenges or are rarely demonstrated in current teaching. Tailored, interprofessional VR tools are perceived as potentially valuable for addressing these needs and may enhance obstetric and midwifery education. As part of the V.T.O.B.S. project (Virtual training for obstetric birth simulations), the next step will be the development and evaluation of such an application.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Trial registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study protocol was preregistered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00035186 27.09.2024).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-025-08532-6","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,10]],"date-time":"2026-01-10T07:52:09Z","timestamp":1768031529000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Nationwide needs assessment on the potential use of virtual reality in teaching birth mechanics: perceptions of students and teaching professionals in midwifery and medicine in Germany"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"26","author":[{"given":"Kristina","family":"Vogel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jana","family":"Adams","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rabi R.","family":"Datta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicola H.","family":"Bauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"8532_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"403","DOI":"10.1007\/s10459-014-9535-3","volume":"20","author":"E Badenhorst","year":"2015","unstructured":"Badenhorst E, Mamede S, Hartman N, Schmidt HG. 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Front Med. 2025;12:1715561. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fmed.2025.1715561.","journal-title":"Front Med"}],"container-title":["BMC Medical Education"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12909-025-08532-6","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12909-025-08532-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12909-025-08532-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,16]],"date-time":"2026-06-16T16:32:32Z","timestamp":1781627552000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1186\/s12909-025-08532-6"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,10]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,12]]}},"alternative-id":["8532"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12909-025-08532-6","relation":{},"ISSN":["1472-6920"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1472-6920","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"9 September 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"24 December 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"10 January 2026","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Cologne (07.12.2024; reference number 24-1137). The study protocol was preregistered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00035186). Data were collected via a digital anonymous survey. Participation was voluntary, and informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to data collection.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"146"}}