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arXiv · 2504.21735

TheraQuest: A Gamified, LLM-Powered Simulation for Massage Therapy Training

Shengqian Wang
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Abstract

Massage therapy training emphasizes hands-on techniques and effective therapist--patient communication. However, many educational programs struggle to provide realistic practice scenarios. To address this problem, we propose TheraQuest, a gamified, web-based simulation platform that employs large language models (LLMs) to generate diverse virtual patients with varying symptoms and cultural backgrounds. Through interactive dialogue, anatomical decision-making, and immediate assessment, trainees develop both diagnostic reasoning and empathetic communication skills in a low-risk environment. Unlike exclusively VR-based solutions, TheraQuest remains accessible via standard web browsers, mitigating the cost and discomfort associated with extended headset use. Preliminary testing suggests that integrating LLM-driven virtual patients with real-time skill metrics can enhance trainee engagement and help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical proficiency.

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Shengqian Wang. 2025-04-30. TheraQuest: A Gamified, LLM-Powered Simulation for Massage Therapy Training. https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.21735

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