Redesign of a virtual reality basic life support module for medical training - a feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Simulation Technology
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background:

• Basic Life Support (BLS) skills are crucial for healthcare providers and medical students.
• Virtual Reality (VR) training offers advantages like accessibility, realistic scenarios, and immediate feedback.
• A VR BLS module, Virtual Life Support, was developed for medical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of the Virtual Life Support VR module for medical training.
• To identify barriers to the effective implementation of VR BLS training.
• To understand stakeholder perspectives on the Virtual Life Support module.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving physicians, BLS instructors, educational experts, and medical students.
• Participants used the Virtual Life Support VR module during a BLS mannequin simulation.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted post-simulation, followed by thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Thematic saturation was achieved with 17 interviews.
• Sixteen barriers to using the VR BLS module were identified.
• Barriers were categorized as 'must-have' (essential) or 'nice-to-have' (desirable) features.

Conclusions:

• The Virtual Life Support module provides valuable insights for redesigning VR BLS training.
• VR technology can enhance realism and immersion in BLS training modules.
• Further development of VR BLS modules can revolutionize training quality and accessibility for emergency preparedness.