XRTrain

eXtended Reality Training in the education and training of health and safety professionals

#algorithm #firesafety #procedures #skill #worksafety

In this research project, the effect, impact and advantages/disadvantages of eXtended Reality trainings for healthcare professionals were investigated. XRCONSOLE implemented two XR training environments for healthcare professionals and accompanied the creation and evaluation process by means of user-centred design.

Key Benefits

15 minutes

Low-dose Training

Training phases of 15 minutes already lead to excellent results!

82 percent

Fun to train

Enjoyment and fun in training promotes the learning process in the long term!

25 percent

Fewer errors

Training can prevent one out of four mistakes.

Ready to change your outcomes?

Challenge

"Stress" in healthcare

As a high-reliability organisation, the healthcare sector brings with it a number of challenges for staff and their work processes, and “performance under stress” in particular is one of the most comprehensive. But how can XR training environments improve this performance and thus create more safety for staff and, in the broadest sense, also for patients?

We answered this question together with SIM CAMPUS GmbH and the Austrian Institute of Technology in a one-year project.

General Approach

Procedural skills as the key

After a survey of user requirements in an expert workshop, we were able to identify procedural skills as a key component in the training of healthcare staff such as nurses, doctors and medical assistants. In this context, we identified the preparation of an invasive procedure - endotracheal intubation on a normal ward. In safety matters, we focused on a similarly standardisable process - fire protection or escape. Both XR training environments were created in the project and subsequently evaluated in a study.

Educational Approach

Training success through self-directed learning

Particular attention was paid in the educational approach to successively leading healthcare personnel, such as nurses, doctors and medical assistants, to the activity. With the help of buzzers, trainees can switch intubation templates or escape route information on and off or adjust the level of difficulty of their training. Checking or resetting is also possible at the push of a button, so that a large proportion of self-directed learning could take place on the basis of the defined learning objectives.

Technical Approach

Rendering of real devices, products and structures

The 3D assets were created on the basis of images of the real emergency vehicle and plan documents of the entire building. In a second step, each item was assigned its own motion and gravity behaviour through extensive testing. In a final step, articles that were not rendered were replaced by high quality images in the emergency trolley.

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Solution

Procedural actions are of great importance in the process and in patient care; the better one of these actions is mastered, the higher the quality of care. This thesis can also be applied to the safety of staff with regard to compliance with escape routes and fire protection plans.

In the course of the project, two use cases were created with both project partners to consolidate these skills and confirm the assumptions, and were subjected to an evaluation study.

Use-Case I: Preparation for endotracheal intubation

The preparation of an endotracheal intubation is an important assistance service for doctors in the health care system. This action is primarily performed by nursing and paramedical staff. As this is a life-sustaining procedure, it is important to work as quickly and without errors as possible.

In a first training step, trainees have the opportunity to use a so-called intubation template and get to know the XR environment. In a second step, the template can then be removed by pressing a button and the trainee can check the progress at any time by means of a counter on the trolley or comparison with the template. The aim is for the trainees to internalise the processes and sequences of the preparation process through repeated, intensive repetition in the virtual world.

Use-Case II: Fire protection and building evacuation

The aspect of “safety” plays a major role in the health care sector and, together with fire protection, is obligatory for all persons working in the health care sector. Knowing at all times in which fire compartment you are and where the next exit is is just as much a part of working in a clinic as caring for patients.

In this training, participants can work through all the necessary actions of a building escape in a clinical setting. The aim is to perceive possible dangers and to make decisions correctly and promptly in order to leave the hospital as quickly as possible in the virtual world. The aim is to enable trainees to experience a scenario that is not commonplace and to internalise escape and fire protection plans through this training.

Outcomes

36 seconds faster

15 minutes of our XR training resulted in 36 seconds faster completion of endotracheal intubation preparation in trainees.

Reduced workload

After training in our XR environment, a lower subjective workload of the participants was recorded.

Fun to train

More than 80% of the trainees report a high level of satisfaction with our XR training and rate the “fun during training” factor as very good.

Reduced number of errors

By training in our XR environment, participants show a 25% lower error rate in the preparation process.

Ready to transform your training?

What our partners say

"Healthcare professionals are confronted with procedural activities in their daily work. With an XR environment, we not only manage to train them in a standardised way, but also generate a bridge to self-led learning and training on-demand."

Institute Executive, SIM CAMPUS GmbH