Holo-BLSD – A holographic tool for self-training and self-evaluation of emergency response skills

In case of cardiac arrest, prompt intervention of bystanders can be vital in saving lives. Basic Life Support and Defibrillation (BLSD) is a procedure designed to deliver a proficient emergency first response. Developing skills in BLSD in a large part of the population is a primary educational goal of resuscitation medicine. In this context, novel computer science technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) can alleviate some of the drawbacks of traditional instructor-led courses, especially concerning time and cost constraints. This paper presents Holo-BLSD, an AR system that allows users to learn and train the different operations involved in BLSD and receive an automatic assessment. The system uses a standard manikin which is quotes{augmented} by an interactive virtual environment that reproduces realistic emergency scenarios. The proposed approach has been validated through a user study. Subjective results confirmed the usability of the devised tool and its capability to stimulate learners' attention. Objective results indicated no statistical significance in the differences between the examiners' evaluation of users who underwent traditional and AR training; they also showed a close agreement between expert and automatic assessments, suggesting that Holo-BLSD can be regarded as an effective self-learning method and a reliable self-evaluation tool

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Basic and Advanced Life Support Training

The use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for life support training is increasing. These technologies provide an immersive experience that supports learning in a safe and controlled environment. This review focuses on the use of AR and VR for emergency care training for health care providers, medical students, and nonprofessionals. In particular, we analyzed (1) serious games, nonimmersive games, both single-player and multiplayer; (2) VR tools ranging from semi-immersive to immersive virtual and mixed reality; and (3) AR applications. All the toolkits have been investigated in terms of application goals (training, assessment, or both), simulated procedures, and skills. The main goal of this work is to summarize and organize the findings of studies coming from multiple research areas in order to make them accessible to all the professionals involved in medical simulation. The analysis of the state-of-the-art technologies reveals that tools and studies related to the multiplayer experience, haptic feedback, and evaluation of user’s manual skills in the foregoing health care-related environments are still limited and require further investigation. Also, there is an additional need to conduct studies aimed at assessing whether AR/VR-based systems are superior or, at the minimum, comparable to traditional training methods

Mitchell\u27s Story: A Cautionary Tale of Underlying Cardiovascular Disease and the Call for Increased Pre-participation Sports Physicals at the Intercollegiate Level

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Remote synchronous usability testing of public access defibrillators during social distancing in a pandemic

Public access automated external defibrillators (AEDs) represent emergency medical devices that may be used by untrained lay-persons in a life-critical event. As such their usability must be confirmed through simulation testing. In 2020 the novel coronavirus caused a global pandemic. In order to reduce the spread of the virus, many restrictions such as social distancing and travel bans were enforced. Usability testing of AEDs is typically conducted in-person, but due to these restrictions, other usability solutions must be investigated. Two studies were conducted, each with 18 participants: (1) an in-person usability study of an AED conducted in an office space, and (2) a synchronous remote usability study of the same AED conducted using video conferencing software. Key metrics associated with AED use, such as time to turn on, time to place pads and time to deliver a shock, were assessed in both studies. There was no difference in time taken to turn the AED on in the in-person study compared to the remote study, but the time to place electrode pads and to deliver a shock were significantly lower in the in-person study than in the remote study. Overall, the results of this study indicate that remote user testing of public access defibrillators may be appropriate in formative usability studies for determining understanding of the user interface

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING BASIC LIFE SUPPORT IN CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST

Objective: to develop and validate a multimedia application on a mobile platform for teaching basic support in cardiac arrest to undergraduate health care students.Method: methodological study conducted in two stages: development of the application and content validation by experts. The application was developed based on Contextualized Instructional Design, following the stages of analysis, design, development, and implementation. For the content validation, 11 experts evaluated the application regarding relevance, clarity, coherence, information, presentation, navigability, accessibility, and design.Results: The SBVida application was developed for mobile devices on the Android platform. An overall Content Validity Index of 0.87 was achieved.Conclusion: The SBVida application was developed and validated and can contribute to the preparation and further training of students and professionals from Nursing and other health fields

Status of the implementation of automated external defibrillators in South Korean health/fitness facilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of automated external defibrillator (AED) implementation in South Korean health/fitness facilities; for facilities with AEDs, to investigate risk management practices associated with AED implementation; and for facilities without AEDs, to investigate constraints to AED implementation. A questionnaire measuring the status of AED implementation, risk management practices for facilities with an AED(s), and constraints to AED implementation was developed and administered to 436 health/fitness facility managers in South Korea. The participants were selected by using random sampling with stratified populations. Results showed that the status of AED implementation in South Korean health/fitness facilities was only 8.7% (38 of 436). The distribution of AEDs by location and ownership was uneven. The level of managers knowledge of AED laws was also low. With regard to risk management practices, about 65% of the managers responded that there was one or more staff members trained to use an AED(s). However, less than 5% (17 of 436) health/fitness facilities were ready to provide defibrillation with an AED by an on-duty trained staff member in an emergency situation. Results of the factor analysis generated a five factor model for perceived constraints to AED implementation including Cost, No Need, Lack of Support, Lack of Information, and Management Concerns. The study elicited the following five managerial constraints to AED implementation: (1) Lack of information associated with required AED certification and training; (2) Lack of an AED instructor; (3) Lack of information regarding supervisory responsibility; (4) Lack of information associated with protection from liability; and (5) Additional staff certification and training. The findings of this study contribute to the body of knowledge on AED implementation in South Korean sport venues in general, and health/fitness facilities specifically. An overall result from this study showed that health/fitness facility managers tend to diminish the probability of a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and the need for AED implementation in their facilities. The study may contribute to an increase in overall AED implementation in South Korean health/fitness facilities via facility managers\u27 increased attention to the use of AEDs and the potential for SCA. In the future, the enactment of additional AED regulatory laws in sport venues will also contribute to an increase in AED implementation in South Korean sport facilities.\u2

Immersive multi-user decision training games with ARLearn

Serious gaming approaches so far focus mainly on skill development, motivational aspects or providing immersive learning situations. Little work has been reported to foster awareness and decision competencies in complex deci-sion situations involving incomplete information and multiple stakeholders. We address this issue exploring the technical requirements and possibilities to de-sign games for such situations in three case studies: a hostage taking situation, a multi-stakeholder logistics case, and a health-care related emergency case. To implement the games, we use a multi-user enabled mobile game development platform (ARLearn). We describe the underlying real world situations and edu-cational challenges and analyse how these are reflected in the ARLearn games realized. Based on these cases we propose a way to increase the immersiveness of mobile learning games.SALOM