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RESEARCH PROJECT:
Pilot evaluation of an out-of-hospital immersive birthing simulation training application for paramedics and volunteer ambulance officers using virtual reality technology
Out-of-hospital births (OOHB) are increasing worldwide. Morbidity and mortality outcomes for OOHB neonates are considerably worse than their hospital-born counterparts. Australia faces unique challenges in prehospital care, with approximately 30% of Australians living in rural and remote locations, while most tertiary maternity hospitals are in large regional or metropolitan areas. Emergency ambulance services operating in rural and remote areas of Australia rely heavily on volunteer ambulance officers to respond to 000 calls.
Low training exposure and low confidence in responding to obstetric cases amongst paramedics is well-documented, potentially impacting patient care and resulting in suboptimal outcomes. If paramedic confidence is low regarding these cases, it is conceivable the volunteer ambulance officers, who are less qualified, may experience the same or more profound challenges.
This project will pilot a highly innovative virtual-reality simulation training program NEONATE in VR (Novel Educational Overview of the Neonatal Apgar and Treatment Experience in Virtual-Reality) amongst paramedics, student paramedics, student midwives, and volunteer ambulance officers. The immersive program is designed to address uncertainty and enhance preparedness in responding to out-of-hospital births and assessing and managing neonates in the first vital minutes of life. The pilot evaluation will gather user feedback contributing to future iterations, along with perceived satisfaction, immersion, improvements in confidence and knowledge acquisition amongst the four target cohorts.