The use of virtual-reality (VR) technology in education is increasing in popularity with students and educators alike. Technological advancements have opened countless doors to innovative, active, and experiential learning opportunities. One of the innovative and impactful areas that this technology can positively affect is emergency medicine. Emergency medicine, a fast-paced, high-risk, ever-evolving field, presents unique and varied challenges to educators.¹ Could virtual reality be the right tool to assist in addressing these challenges?

History of Simulation

In order to train emergency physicians, many educational institutions rely on scenario-based simulations. Simulation can be defined as the imitation of clinical experience, and it has been present in medical education for over 50 years, beginning when Dr. Peter Safar, known as the father of CPR, simulated mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for students by administering a paralytic to stop the breathing of volunteers in the 1950s.² Since then a wide variety of simulation-based educational aids have been developed for medical training. These tools range from basic task trainers (intravenous-practice arms and intubation mannequins) to fully immersive, virtual-reality, patient-assessment simulators. Multiple studies have shown that simulation is at least as effective as traditional education.^3-9

The successful implementation of traditional simulation presents notable challenges. Building realistic backgrounds, obtaining supplies, and training instructors can be time-consuming and expensive.¹⁰ Ensuring consistency in each student’s experience across multiple cohorts is challenging. Prioritizing the safety of students and instructors during necessarily dangerous patient simulations without compromising the authenticity of the scenario is challenging.

Virtual-reality simulations allow institutions to provide the exact same scenario consistently between repetitions, students, and cohorts in a safe and realistic manner that is impossible to achieve in a more traditional manner. Students are able to fully and independently immerse themselves in an environment with a patient in which they must rely solely on their individual cognitive process in assessment, diagnosis, and decision making. In order to successfully implement VR simulation, a financial, educational and time commitment is required.

Virtual Reality

Educators around the world have been using virtual reality to effect real results with students and practitioners in impressive and innovative ways. Let’s start with a look at VR patient-assessment simulation. Multiple platforms exist for practitioners and students alike to jump into a virtual emergency room, prehospital environment, or ambulance and perform patient assessments, treatments, and transports—all from the comfort of the hospital break room.

VR Patients is one example of this. The VR Patients platform offers clients the opportunity to attempt simulations in both pre- and in-hospital environments using either 3-dimensional (3D) or 2-dimensional modalities. That means that the same scenarios can be attempted on laptops or iPads, or through VR goggles.