The effectiveness of online Visually Enhanced Mental Simulation in developing casualty triage and management skills of paramedic program students: A quasi-experimental research study

Abstract

BackgroundParamedics who perform patient triaging in case of a mass casualty incident generally receive triage training during their undergraduate educational program. Triage training can be facilitated using various simulation modalities together with theoretical training. ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of online scenario-based Visually Enhanced Mental Simulation (VEMS) on developing the casualty triage and management skills of paramedic students. DesignThe study was conducted using a single-group pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design. Settings and participantsThe study was carried out in October 2020 with 20 volunteer students studying in the First and Emergency Aid program of a university in Turkey. MethodsAfter the online theoretical crime scene management and triage course, students completed a demographic questionnaire and a pre-VEMS assessment. They then took part in the online VEMS training and eventually completed the post-VEMS assessment. At the end of the session, they filed an online survey concerning VEMS. ResultsThere is a statistically significant increase in the scores obtained by the students between the pre- and post-educational intervention assessment (p < 0.05). The majority of the students gave positive feedback concerning VEMS as an educational approach. ConclusionThe results show that online VEMS is effective in helping paramedic students acquire casualty triage and management skills and that students thought it was an effective educational approach.