Computer-assisted training program for simulation of triage, resuscitation, and evacuation of casualties

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a multimedia computer software package that has been developed for the Federal Armed Forces of Germany to train military physicians in trauma management. The program presents different groups of casualties with characteristic wounds and multiple injuries on a CD-ROM and provides many clinical options at each decision point. Automatically evaluating the decisions for accuracy, the objective of the program is to train for triage, resuscitation, and evacuation of wounded in combat under pressure of time. The computer-assisted instruction program is inexpensive and allows easily accessible self-instruction as a supplement to formal classroom training. Using this teaching software, it may be possible to teach a standardized emergency case-management algorithm for battlefield trauma. There was a high level of acceptance for this type of instruction. This is encouraging for medical educators involved in producing multimedia packages for teaching emergency medicine.