Hospital.Help

Essen – Applications with virtual reality glasses (VR glasses) can support students in learning life-saving first aid measures. This is shown by a study at the University Hospital in Essen.

Cynthia Szalai and Frank Herbstreit conducted the study with students in the fourth clinical semester as part of the emergency medicine block internship. The analysis included 193 participants who were divided into two groups. One group received classic training, while the other group trained with VR scenarios.

VR glasses were used. This technology allows students to learn what is important in medical emergencies in a realistic and safe environment. This VR training included interactive exercises and simulations that gave participants immediate feedback on their resuscitation attempts.

The participants in the VR group showed significant improvements in their theoretical knowledge immediately after the training and twelve weeks later. However, in practical exercises testing life-saving skills, there were no measurable differences between the two groups.

However, the participants also reported technical challenges when using VR technology, but were overall satisfied with the new training methods. Many felt that VR training was a valuable addition to traditional first aid training.

“The study shows that VR represents an attractive and practical option for refreshing life-saving first aid skills,” said Szalai. The innovative VR method could help make knowledge about first aid accessible and promote the willingness to help in emergency situations. © hil/aerzteblatt.de