Exploring User Needs in the Development of a Virtual Reality-Based Advanced Life Support Training Platform:...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Virtual Reality in Healthcare
• Simulation-Based Training

Background:

• Traditional Advanced Life Support (ALS) training is resource-intensive and costly.
• Virtual reality (VR) simulations offer a cost-effective, engaging, and flexible complement to traditional methods.
• VR technology can enhance the delivery and reaccreditation of ALS training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine clinician user needs for an interactive VR ALS simulation (ALS-SimVR).
• To inform the ongoing development of VR-based training platforms for medical education.
• To identify key design considerations for future VR training applications.

Main Methods:

• Semistructured interviews with 10 experienced clinicians (median age 40.9 years) after using ALS-SimVR.
• Participants had significant ALS training experience but minimal VR experience.
• Usability and presence were assessed alongside qualitative interview data.

Main Results:

• The ALS-SimVR application was well-received by clinicians.
• Thematic analysis identified five key user needs: affordances, agency, diverse input modalities, mental models, and advanced roles.
• These findings highlight crucial areas for designing engaging VR training applications.

Conclusions:

• Clinician engagement with ALS-SimVR revealed broader design considerations beyond scenario alignment.
• Improving user experience in VR training requires attention to technology-specific factors like input modalities.
• Future VR training platforms should prioritize user-centered design principles informed by these findings.