Proposal

SiMErgency II (Full Proposal [PDF])

Abstract 

SiMErgency II is about validation of a new method of training CPR into HS curricula, incorporating the December 2005 recommendations of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) for CPR training. Validation studies with high school students taught the lay public level of CPR skills using scenarios in Virtual Worlds (May2006, SiMErgency I) will focus on knowledge recall, improved individual and team performance, confidence/self-efficacy, and motivation/’flow’. These recall, performance, and process assessments particularly important to simulation studies, will be related to gender and are evaluated as the unique assessment features of the SiMErgency II validation project.  To satisfy IRB requirements in Sweden, studies will be extended beyond high school students to the healthcare provider level of CPR training for pre-clinical medical students; this requirement will be adopted in both countries. Modest development of two additional virtual worlds with avatars of both genders, different ethnic groups, and new animations (eg., avatar functions on a bedded ‘victim’, not only on the floor/ground) will provide adequate variations in the tool-kit, for more training scenarios. These include cross-cultural environments, and with multiple levels of professional training. SiMErgency II enables the beginning integration of virtual CPR into the curricula of four participating educational institutions.

SiMErgency I (Full Proposal [PDF])

Abstract 

New, innovative methods of training are being sought by leaders in the field of CPR training to augment or replace current CPR training methods, because of the lack of retention of the resuscitation actions taught. This project offers technical and pedagogical innovations that address these limitations in current training.  We hypothesize that situated learning in realistic virtual environments will generate emotional excitement that enhances retention.  Also, performance-based evaluations in the virtual environment will provide immediate objective feedback.
The proposed simulation exercises will complement existing curricula in high schools in Stockholm and Redwood City, CA. The scenarios will be developed by direct collaboration with high school teachers in Sweden and the US who are responsible for CPR training in established curricula.  Ten scenarios of typical medical emergencies, including cardiac arrest, that occur in schools and communities will be presented in web-based environments such as classrooms, play-fields, streets, vehicles, and at home. These exercises follow the guidelines and suggested topics of the American Heart Assn’s Medical Emergency Response Plan for Schools (MERPS).

As a consequence of our successful WGLNI project, we co-developed with Forterra, Inc. a prototype training program for first responders on their game development platform, OLIVE. This reliable platform will be used to implement the proposed study.   Design and technical development will take place in the first two quarters of the project, followed by implementation and evaluation in the third quarter, and analysis and reporting in the final quarter of the year. The work will be presented in medical education forums and in leading medical journals to promote adoption of this training method around the globe. Forterra, Inc. anticipates commercialization of this technology and our training tools.