Virtual reality for ambulance simulation environment

Abstract

Simulations are beneficial in evaluating clinicians’ empirical competencies through practical skills, prioritizing, and decision-making as part of patient care scenarios generally run in a full-scale physical context. However, such simulations require physical space, manufacturing, and replacement of damaged or used equipment. On the other hand, virtual reality (VR) computerized simulators are comparatively modern instruments for use in practical training. VR can be employed to simulate real-world situations without the actual need for physical devices. This work presents an ambulance patient compartment VR simulation that can be used by emergency medical services (EMS) staff to customize the configuration of the ambulance patient compartment according to their preference as well as for vehicle orientation or training purposes. The proposed simulation can be used repeatedly enabling the paramedics to access equipment in a fully immersive and safe environment. The user studies have demonstrated the usability and perceived effectiveness of the proposed simulation.