Abstract:

The topic of triage of adult and pediatric patients in the case of mass casualty presents an identical scenario prepared for teaching paramedics in virtual reality focused on patient triage using START and JumpSTART methods and for teaching in conventional training in the form of simulation in a simulation room. In the case of the START and JumpSTART methods, the student/paramedic must be familiar with the respective triage procedure. At the same time, the student/paramedic must be familiar with the basic procedures for securing patients with different injuries. For the presented virtual module this includes stopping massive bleeding, clearing the airway and securing a stable position. The same actions are then performed by the students in the control group in the simulation room. Patient triage is a skill that needs to be presented not only as a skill in itself, but also discussed over its ethical aspects. Virtual reality is offered as a complement to the conventional training session, allowing the student to understand all aspects of the procedure and to practice in a safe environment with the possibility of debriefing with the instructor afterwards. Measurement results focusing on the different types of demands subjectively perceived by students/paramedics in both types of training will also be presented, as well as the experiment itself. A sub-part of the presentation will then present different approaches to triage, i.e. the question of how much the learning environment (virtual reality vs. simulation) influences the actual approach to the triage process and communication with the patient.

Keywords:

Virtual reality, simulation, training, paramedics, triage, mass casualty.