The Development and Initial End-Point User Feedback of a 3D-Printed Adult Proximal Tibia IO Simulator.

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Biomedical Engineering
• Emergency Medicine Training

Background:

• Intraosseous (IO) infusion is an underutilized vascular access technique in adults, particularly in rural settings.
• Limited access to training equipment and human capacity hinders IO skills development in remote areas.
• Existing training methods like expensive commercial simulators or animal tissues have significant drawbacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of maxSIMIO, a novel 3D-printed adult proximal tibia IO infusion simulator.
• To gather and present feedback on the maxSIMIO simulator's design from a clinical co-design team.
• To assess the potential of 3D printing for creating cost-effective, anatomically correct IO training tools for remote areas.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 3D-printed adult proximal tibia simulator for intraosseous infusion practice.
• Co-design process involving 18 end-users from clinical settings in rural and remote areas.
• Feedback collection through surveys on the simulator's anatomical accuracy, usability, and overall acceptability.

Main Results:

• The majority of clinical feedback was positive, indicating the maxSIMIO simulator is helpful for learning the IO technique.
• Responders found the simulator to be more anatomically accurate than previously used simulators.
• Average survey results indicated the simulator is acceptable as a training tool, with suggestions for improvements like enhanced stability and anatomical detail.

Conclusions:

• The maxSIMIO 3D-printed simulator is a functional and cost-effective tool for practicing intraosseous infusion techniques.
• The simulator addresses the need for accessible, anatomically relevant training in remote and rural medical education.
• This approach supports simulation-based medical education, enhancing skills for emergency vascular access in underserved regions.