Division of Global Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Division of Global Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
BMJ Open. 2023 May 9;13(5):e063527. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063527.
To produce and evaluate a novel virtual reality (VR) training for public health emergency responders.
Following a VR training designed to test key public health emergency responder competencies, a prospective cohort of participants completed surveys rating self-assessed skill levels and perceptions of training methods.
The VR training sessions were administered in a quiet room at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia.
All participants volunteered from a list of CDC emergency international surge responders.
Perceived impact of the training on responder skills was self-reported via a Likert 5-point scale questionnaire. Assessments were modelled according to the Expanded Technology Acceptance Model measuring participant and the new technology. Inductive coding of qualitative feedback resulted in the identification of central themes.
From November 2019 to January 2020, 61 participants were enrolled. Most (98%) participants self-rated above neutral for all skills (mean 4.3; range 1.21-5.00). Regression modelling showed that the the VR and ability to produce as likely drivers of further use. Participants agreed that others would benefit from the training (97%), it was representative of actual response scenarios (72%) and they would use lessons learnt in the field (71%). Open-response feedback highlighted feeling being immersed in the training and its utility for public health responders.
At a time when a trained emergency public health workforce is a critical need, VR may be an option for addressing this gap. Participants' impressions and feedback, in the setting of their high skill level and experience, highlighted the utility and benefit of using VR to deliver training. Further research is needed to determine skill acquisition through VR training among a pool of future responders with limited to no response experience.
开发并评估一种针对公共卫生应急响应人员的新型虚拟现实 (VR) 培训。
在设计了一项旨在测试关键公共卫生应急响应人员能力的 VR 培训之后，一组前瞻性参与者完成了调查，对自我评估的技能水平和对培训方法的看法进行了评分。
佐治亚州亚特兰大市美国疾病控制与预防中心 (CDC) 的一个安静房间内进行 VR 培训课程。
所有参与者均自愿参加来自 CDC 应急国际增援人员名单。
通过李克特 5 点量表问卷自我报告培训对响应人员技能的感知影响。根据扩展技术接受模型对评估进行建模，该模型测量参与者和新技术。对定性反馈的归纳编码导致确定了核心主题。
从 2019 年 11 月到 2020 年 1 月，有 61 名参与者参加。大多数（98％）参与者对所有技能的自我评估均高于中立（平均 4.3；范围 1.21-5.00）。回归模型显示，VR 和产生 的能力是进一步使用的可能驱动因素。参与者一致认为其他人将从培训中受益（97％），它代表了实际响应场景（72％），并且他们将在现场使用所学课程（71％）。开放式反馈突出了沉浸在培训中的感觉及其对公共卫生响应人员的实用性。
在需要训练有素的紧急公共卫生人员的时代，VR 可能是解决这一差距的一种选择。在他们具有高技能水平和经验的背景下，参与者的印象和反馈强调了使用 VR 进行培训的实用性和益处。需要进一步研究以确定在具有有限或没有响应经验的未来响应人员中通过 VR 培训获得技能。
