Devika Patel: Developing virtual reality training to improve trauma care

Objective: To develop an innovative and human-centered educational methodology to create a multidisciplinary training curriculum that employs virtual reality (VR) technology to improve learners’ understanding of each other’s roles and team collaboration. Background: High-level trauma activations require rapid, multidisciplinary team collaboration; however, the current medical training model does not adequately prepare our diverse group of learners to understand each other’s needs. Trauma teams are ad hoc, containing a range of learners from MS3s to PGY9 fellows across multiple departments including surgery, emergency medicine, anesthesia, radiology, nursing and pharmacy. As a result, these learners have little insight into the knowledge, skills, goals and objectives of their teammates – leading to interpersonal challenges and delays in patient care. We will be developing VR educational modules to help improve professionalism, perspective taking of fellow team members, empathy for the patient and situational awareness in the trauma bay. Methods: We will film 360 video of a trauma resuscitation room from three different perspectives: that of an anesthesiologist at the head of the bed, that of a provider (surgery or EM) at the side of the bed, and that of a patient, from the gurney. These videos will be overlaid with motion graphics and animations to tell the story of the trauma through the perspective of each key player’s role. We will use a human-centered design methodology to determine learning goals for the curriculum. Specifically, we will conduct in-depth, in-context interviews with key stakeholders. We will evaluate the training tool by measuring empathy, knowledge of provider roles and performance during live traumas. Empathy will be measured using the Jefferson Scale for Empathy. These learners will be tested for their knowledge regarding roles of general surgery, anesthesia and emergency medicine physicians during a high-level trauma. Performance will be evaluated by gathering the number of errors made during video reviews of live traumas. All measurement activities will be performed pre- and post-intervention in order to measure improvement attributed to the training tool. Results: The VR modules are currently in development, with an expected completion by the date of the conference. We are also presenting this work at SXSW, so the modules will be completed by mid-March in preparation for SXSW. By the time of the conference, we will have results, and at that point, would be happy to submit an updated abstract. Our results will focus on the development of this educational module and the methodologies used. Conclusions: Simulation in medical education is a well-established training technique; however, the graphic nature of traumas and high stress environment is impossible to replicate in a mock setting. VR is a new and exciting technology that captures the high-stakes nature of the trauma, but allows trainees to practice in a safe setting. We aim to showcase how to use VR in a way that is an effective in creating world-class educational experience for trauma training.