Development and evaluation of a trauma decision-making simulator in Oculus virtual reality

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Virtual Reality Technology
• Trauma Care Training

Background:

• Consumer virtual reality (VR) technology emerged in 2016, primarily in entertainment.
• An innovative medical training simulator was developed using the Oculus™ Gear-VR platform.
• The simulator applies Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) principles for critical patient decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the validity of a novel VR medical training simulator.
• To evaluate its effectiveness in teaching ATLS principles.
• To determine participant perceptions of the VR training tool.

Main Methods:

• Participants (candidates and instructors) were recruited from a single-centre ATLS course in Ireland.
• Simulator performance was correlated with participant expertise and course outcomes.
• A post-intervention questionnaire assessed the validity and usability of the VR platform.

Main Results:

• Instructors made significantly fewer fatal errors and incorrect decisions compared to candidates (p < 0.050).
• High mean ratings were reported for VR hardware (5.09/7) and the trauma application (5.04/7).
• Participants found the VR simulator enjoyable, a preferred learning platform, and cost-effective.

Conclusions:

• Evidence of validity criteria was demonstrated for the VR headset application.
• VR technology presents a promising and viable future platform for medical simulation.
• The developed VR simulator effectively supports critical decision-making training in trauma care.