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vTrain: A Novel Curriculum for Patient Surge Training in a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 February 2013

Laura S. Greci ,
Rameshsharma Ramloll ,
Samantha Hurst ,
Karen Garman ,
Jaishree Beedasy ,
Eric B. Pieper ,
Ricky Huang ,
Erin Higginbotham  and
Zia Agha
Laura S. Greci*
Affiliation:
Health Services Research & Development, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California USA University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Diego, California USA
Rameshsharma Ramloll
Affiliation:
Institute of Rural Health, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho USA DeepSemaphore LLC, Pocatello, Idaho USA
Samantha Hurst
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, La Jolla, California USA
Karen Garman
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Diego, California USA
Jaishree Beedasy
Affiliation:
Institute of Rural Health, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho USA DeepSemaphore LLC, Pocatello, Idaho USA
Eric B. Pieper
Affiliation:
VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, California USA
Ricky Huang
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (CalIT2), La Jolla, California USA
Erin Higginbotham
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Diego, California USA
Zia Agha
Affiliation:
Health Services Research & Development, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California USA University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, San Diego, California USA
*
Correspondence: Laura S. Greci, MD, MPH UC San Diego Health System Concierge Medicine- North Coastal 1200 Garden View Road, Suite 200 Encinitas, CA 92024 USA E-mail lgreci@ucsd.edu
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Abstract

Introduction

During a pandemic influenza, emergency departments will be overwhelmed with a large influx of patients seeking care. Although all hospitals should have a written plan for dealing with this surge of health care utilization, most hospitals struggle with ways to educate the staff and practice for potentially catastrophic events.

Hypothesis/Problem

To better prepare hospital staff for a patient surge, a novel educational curriculum was developed utilizing an emergency department for a patient surge functional drill.

Methods

A multidisciplinary team of medical educators, evaluators, emergency preparedness experts, and technology specialists developed a curriculum to: (1) train novice users to function in their job class in a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE); (2) obtain appropriate pre-drill disaster preparedness training; (3) perform functional team exercises in a MUVE; and (4) reflect on their performance after the drill.

Results

A total of 14 students participated in one of two iterations of the pilot training program; seven nurses completed the emergency department triage course, and seven hospital administrators completed the Command Post (CP) course. All participants reported positive experiences in written course evaluations and structured verbal debriefings, and self-reported increase in disaster preparedness knowledge. Students also reported improved team communication, planning, team decision making, and the ability to visualize and reflect on their performance.

Conclusion

Data from this pilot program suggest that the immersive, virtual teaching method is well suited to team-based, reflective practice and learning of disaster management skills.

GreciLS, RamlollR, HurstS, GarmanK, BeedasyJ, PieperEB, HuangR, HigginbothamE, AghaZ. vTrain: A Novel Curriculum for Patient Surge Training in a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE). Prehosp Disaster Med.2013;28(3):1-8.

Keywords

disasterdrillemergencysimulationsurgetrainingtriagevirtual
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 215 - 222
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2013 

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