Virtual reality as a simulation tool for field hospital’s and COVID-19 hospital’s staff training

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic imposed sudden increase in hospital admissions, thus medical systems needed to reorganize entire hospitals quite often. Quick and efficient training is of outmost importance. Virtual reality team training is a promising tool for newly organized hospital units' staff. Our goal was to present the usefulness and applicability of virtual simulation exercises for training of field hospital personnel and to evaluate the adaptability of these created and tested exercise packs for urgent staff training of COVID-19 hospitals. Three prototypes of virtual reality exercises were assessed through two test courses. XVR simulation software was used to create virtual environments. Evaluation of exercise applicability and utility was performed by anonymous questionnaires. Statistical data-processing was performed using contingency table and chi-square tests. 76 trainees from eight countries participated in the two pilot courses. 63.9% of the participants stated that the method is suitable for conducting such exercises, but needs further development. Its technical use is "easy enough" to learn (59.7%) and provides an interactive (90.32%) and realistic (45.0%) working environment. Virtual reality is applicable to train field hospital staffs for real missions. The created virtual exercise packages are easily adaptable, both in content and structure, to workshops dedicated for quick training of specific COVID-19 temporary medical facility's personnel. Virtual reality is a promising educational tool that can complement the expensive and laborious field exercises, with comparable training efficiency. These virtual reality experiences may become real professional memories and create swiftly a secure and efficient professional milieu. Orv Hetil. 2021; 160(40): 1591-1600.