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Training Effectiveness of a Wide Area Virtual Environment in Medical Simulation
Grady S Wier1, Rebekah Tree, Rasha Nusr
1From the Axiom Resource Management, Inc. (G.S.W), Program Manager, Air Force Medical Service Analytics, Air Force Medical Operations Agency, San Antonio, TX DCS Corporation (R.T.), Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen, MD; and Ministry of Public Health Doha, Qatar. All authors previously worked on a government contract with Air Force Medical Modeling and Simulation Training (AFMMAST).
Virtual reality training (Wide Area Virtual Environment or WAVE) showed lower performance scores but increased realism and self-efficacy compared to traditional field training for medical teams. Further research into advanced simulations is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Medical simulation
- Trauma training
- Virtual reality in education
Background:
- Effective training for military medical personnel handling traumatic injuries is crucial for operational success.
- This study evaluates the Wide Area Virtual Environment (WAVE) as a supplementary training tool.
- It compares immersive virtual reality training against traditional field training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utility of WAVE as a training adjunct for medical personnel.
- To compare student performance, sense of realism, and satisfaction between WAVE and field training environments.
- To evaluate the impact of immersive simulation on medical team training.
Main Methods:
- A comparative prospective cohort study design was employed.
- Subjects were assigned to either a three-screen WAVE with medical simulators or a standard field training group.
- Objective metrics included medical skills, time to completion, Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS), and self-efficacy questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Medical teams in the WAVE environment had poorer overall team scores and longer completion times.
- Performance on The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians trauma assessment checklist was lower in the WAVE group.
- Self-efficacy questionnaires indicated higher scores for critical thinking and realism in the WAVE environment.
Conclusions:
- Environmental and emotional stressors in training can negatively impact critical thinking and clinical skills.
- Advanced simulation training, potentially with added stressors, may help students adapt to high-stress performance barriers.
- WAVE training may enhance self-perceived critical thinking and realism despite lower objective performance metrics.
