To prepare first responders for mass casualty events, The Ohio State University College of Medicine has developed a virtual reality disaster response training program. The VR program helps first responders to quickly assess, triage and treat victims. “You are immersed into a scenario where you can move around, interact with victims, and make life-saving decisions”, says Dr. Nicholas Kman, professor at the State University College.
When trainees put on their virtual reality headsets, they are placed in an underground subway bombing scenario. In this virtual reality disaster response training program, they practice SALT triage, which stands for sort, assess, life-saving interventions, treatment and/or transport. The first responders learn to deal with the pressure that they’re under when in a mass casualty event, such as an active shooter incident.
Training for mass casualty events
The program can be customized, varying the number of victims, the injuries, and distractions like smoke and noise. Following each training session, the program immediately produces a performance assessment. “It’s very important for first responders, law enforcement, and physicians to be able to go into a scene, do hemorrhage control, and triage victims to determine who needs medical care first,” said Dr. Nicholas Kman, professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State College of Medicine.
The VR training is designed in partnership with The Ohio State University Advanced Computing Center for Arts and Design. Kman continues: “Our program is designed to look very realistic, and once you put that headset on you are immersed into a scenario where you can move around, interact with victims, and make life-saving decisions.” The AI in the program allows trainees to give commands, ask questions and receive feedback from victims.
Equipped with the needed tools
In the training participants are equipped with the tools needed to treat life-threatening injuries. Such as tourniquets and wound packing, as well as triage tags to prioritize care when more help arrives. “Our virtual reality platform allows us to make an unlimited number of scenarios with an unlimited number of victims,” Kman said. “We can run learners through as many as times as it takes for them to get good at this process.”
The VR program is being used in several community EMS and fire departments and is quickly expanding across the country. “Virtual reality gives us a safe way to optimize training so our professionals are prepared and can confront these challenges the best they possibly can,” said Dr. Ashish Panchal, professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State College of Medicine and medical director of Delaware County EMS.
The project was funded by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Read more here.
