Design of a Serious Game for Handling Obstetrical Emergencies

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Virtual Reality in Healthcare
• Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background:

• Emerging technologies in obstetrics necessitate advanced learning tools for emergencies.
• While childbirth simulations exist, none have been integrated into serious games.
• Serious games offer a novel approach to medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design an immersive serious game utilizing virtual reality (VR) for learning pregnancy and childbirth pathologies.
• To create a new game engine simulating maternity emergency and delivery room scenarios.
• To enhance the educational experience for medical students in obstetrics.

Main Methods:

• A gynecologist developed clinical scenarios, with an educational engineer designing dialogue and action pathways.
• A custom game engine integrated 3D graphics (based on photographic references) with player actions.
• The Oculus Rift VR headset provided an immersive player experience, with scoring for in-game actions.

Main Results:

• The serious game simulates various obstetrical emergencies, including miscarriage management, preterm birth, operative delivery, and shoulder dystocia.
• The game features a two-phase learning process: immersive action scenarios followed by diagnosis and treatment selection.
• Performance is tracked via a scoring system, providing feedback on player decisions.

Conclusions:

• The serious game provides a novel approach to obstetrical emergency management training.
• It immerses students in realistic virtual environments for active learning.
• This aligns with recommendations emphasizing simulation in medical education and professional development.