Development of Virtual Reality Training for Improving Proficiency in Standard Patient Medical Treatment and...

Conventional radiation emergency medical education has relied on mannequin-based simulations and table-top exercises, which have limitations in reproducing complex contaminated casualty scenarios. To address these limitations, a virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR)-based training simulator was developed and implemented in the 2024 regular training curriculum at the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences (KIRAMS). This study focused on two VR modules: the treatment process for radiation exposure patients and VR TRIAGE. Both modules were technically refined in 2024, including scenario expansion (e.g., cardiac arrest events), difficulty adjustment, enhanced trauma representation, personal protective equipment donning/doffing procedures, video reference functions, and integration of vital sign monitoring. The VR modules were deployed in radiation emergency training programs for radiological emergency medical personnel and first responders, with structured proficiency and effectiveness evaluations. For the VR treatment process, 45 trainees completed pre- and post-training assessments, showing significant improvement in all five assessment items, including sequential management steps, wound decontamination, and knowledge of required equipment (all P < 0.001). Similar gains were observed in VR TRIAGE, where understanding and confidence in casualty classification improved consistently. Educational effectiveness evaluation across the total curriculum (n = 120 in 2024) showed higher scores compared with the 2023 pilot (n = 151), particularly for presence (from 4.13 to 4.51) and reduced simulation sickness (from 3.26 to 3.96). The integration of VR/AR-based modules into radiation emergency medical education demonstrated improvements in learner proficiency, usability, and overall satisfaction. These results emphasize VR/AR-based training programs as sustainable educational tools for enhancing preparedness and response capacity in radiation emergency medicine.