The Use of Virtual Reality in Training Paramedics for a Mass Casualty Incident

Abstract

This paper presents the design of a virtual reality learning module inspired by the exercises of healthcare professionals and its limitations as a result of action research carried out by the authors’ collective. The module is implemented on a car crash scenario as a emergency event. Virtual reality training is presented here as an important supplement to traditional paramedic training with the potential to reduce costs and make paramedic training more effective as part of their refresher training for their job roles. Real-time training and its limitations are described, especially regarding patient triage, this aspect being considered as one of the key aspects in the context of virtual reality. Furthermore, the results of a questionnaire survey among the mannequins and interviews with the trainees are presented, while the virtual reality environment of the module was designed to be intuitive for each student with the possibility of self-service without major demands on the logistical organization of the staff for the updating training. The authors relied on an expert group of multi-disciplinary experts for development. The outcome of the action research and the data collected by it is a fully prepared module for teaching selected skills in reflection of the situational context of a traffic accident with mass casualties. In the context of the presented module, measurements are being prepared to compare selected variables between real training and virtual reality training with the same scenario on student paramedics and professional paramedics.