Development of computer simulator ‘Kawauchi Legends’ as disaster response medical training software: overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Medical disaster response training is provided for international students in Kawauchi Village to share the lessons learnt from the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. At present, this is difficult due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this article is to report the development of hands-on medical training software on a topic that does not require in-person attendance. The ‘Kawauchi Legends’ disaster simulator was developed as a useful tool to teach the medical response to various disasters, and this was applied in a 3-day webinar in October 2020. Fourteen students participated in the webinar and successfully learnt medical management, manipulating their avatars in the virtual environment. This software can be an effective substitute for in-person disaster training without physical involvement. Such innovative teaching methods mean that lessons from the Fukushima accident can continue to be shared, even in the COVID-19 pandemic situation.