Saving Lives in a Virtual World

Second Life is a new 3-D virtual reality training method for parametics. This online tool portrays a world of different possible scenarios that parametics would deal with daily. At St. George’s Hospital, the University of London, and Kingston University Second Life is being used in the classroom.

In the virtual world the students can portray characters that are responsible for responding to patients in different life threatening situations by checking a pulse, dressing wounds and administering drugs. The characters are fully equipped with a “toolkit” that contains equipment typically found in an ambulance, such as an ECG (electrocardiogram) and oxygen masks. Each week the students are emailed a new Second Life URL. This takes them to a scene where a mannequin needs their help. After providing preliminary care and deciding how to get the patients into the ambulance, the students set the GPS system to direct them to the nearest hospital and give the “doctors their preliminary response notes,” or email the real-life tutor their assessments for feedback.

Aside from inspiring the students to learn and keeping their interest, this method of training allows the students practice what they have been learning and safely make mistakes. Administering the wrong drug to a virtual patient poses zero risk in comparison to administering the wrong drug to a live patient. Dr Ahmed Younis, principle lecturer, said 90% of students who tested the system said Second Life had aided their learning and would help them handle real-life cases more smoothly. They can practice real life situations instead of just reading about them in a textbook. Emily Conradi, e-Projects Manager at St George's, said the course was proving invaluable. The Second Life system is in the process of expanding to training in a broad range of healthcare such as for midwifery and physiotherapy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7686595.stm

Rebecca Rulla
Sect. 502