| Virtual reality techniques, involving | | | | "just-in-time" learning techniques and experience |
| three-dimensional imaging and surround sound, are | | | | the training session at any time and location, while |
| increasingly being used in diagnosis, treatment, and | | | | adjusting the type and level of expertise required |
| medical education. Initial applications of virtual | | | | to use the training for various emergency |
| reality in medicine involved visualization of the | | | | response professionals. Others have explored the |
| complex data sets generated by computed | | | | potential for training emergency responders for |
| tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging | | | | major health emergencies using virtual reality. |
| (MRI) scans. A recent application of these | | | | Their objective was to increase exposure to |
| techniques for diagnostic purposes has been the | | | | life-like emergency situations to improve |
| "virtual colonoscopy," in which data from a | | | | decision-making and performance and reduce |
| contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scan is used to | | | | psychological distress in a real health emergency. |
| make a "fly-through" of the colon. Radiologists | | | | Experience with recent natural disasters and |
| then use this fly-through for colon cancer | | | | terrorist acts has shown that good communication |
| screening. Recent improvements in methodology | | | | and coordination between responders is vital to an |
| have brought the sensitivity and specificity of this | | | | effective response. In my work using Second Life |
| technique closer to the levels of optical | | | | to develop a virtual mass disaster emergency |
| colonoscopy, and patients prefer the technique to | | | | clinic to hand out antibiotics to the population |
| the traditional method. | | | | following a massive anthrax bioterrorism attack, |
| Virtual reality has also been used extensively to | | | | we have found a number of important |
| treat phobias (such as a fear of heights, flying and | | | | advantages of the virtual world, over the real |
| spiders) and post-traumatic stress disorder. This | | | | world, for training first responders. |
| type of therapy has been shown to be effective | | | | Responders to such events come from many |
| in the academic setting, and several commercial | | | | different organizations, including fire, police, military, |
| entities now offer it to patients. In one of my | | | | and hospital personnel. There are three major |
| projects using the multi-user virtual reality | | | | difficulties in training and evaluating these first |
| environment offered by Second Life, one of | | | | responders in the real world: |
| several easily available online virtual reality | | | | 1. They have little or no chance to train together |
| environments, we have used a virtual psychosis | | | | before the event occurs and hence lack |
| environment to teach medical students about the | | | | teamwork skills. |
| auditory and visual hallucinations suffered by | | | | 2. What training they may have had comes at |
| patients with schizophrenia. | | | | great cost, in large part due to the effort and |
| Virtual reality has been used to provide medical | | | | need to transport so many people to a specific |
| education about healthcare responses to | | | | training site at a specific time. |
| emergencies such as earthquakes, plane crashes | | | | 3. The training sites frequently cannot be the |
| and fires. While the primary advantage in phobia | | | | most common targets - for example, one cannot |
| treatment is a "safe environment" which patients | | | | shut down the Golden Gate Bridge during rush |
| can explore, the primary advantage in emergency | | | | hour to train for an earthquake or terror scenario. |
| preparedness is simulation of events that are | | | | Virtual reality offers some intriguing advantages |
| either too rare or too dangerous for effective | | | | over the real world for these aspects of first |
| real-world training. The immersive nature of the | | | | responder training, as all of the above difficulties |
| virtual reality experience helps to recreate the | | | | can be overcome. Virtual reality systems can |
| sense of urgency or panic associated with these | | | | support multiple simultaneous users, each |
| events. | | | | connecting to the system using standard office |
| Virtual reality programs have also been used for a | | | | personal computers and broadband Internet |
| variety of medical emergency, mass casualty, and | | | | access. Lifelike models of buildings, roads, bridges, |
| disaster response training sessions for medical and | | | | and other natural and man-made structures |
| public health professionals. One study developed a | | | | where the users can interact can be constructed. |
| protocol for training physicians to treat victims of | | | | Finally, the whole scenario can be digitally |
| chemical-origin mass casualties as well as victims | | | | preserved and a full workflow analysis can be |
| of biological agents using simulated patients. | | | | performed retrospectively. Public health officials |
| Although it was found that using standardized | | | | and first-responders can work through the |
| patients for such training was more realistic, the | | | | scenarios as many times as they like to familiarize |
| computer-based simulations afforded a number of | | | | themselves with the workflow and emergency |
| advantages over the live training. These included | | | | protocols, without encumbering the time and |
| increased cost effectiveness, the opportunity to | | | | expense of organizing a mock emergency in real |
| conduct the same training sessions over and over | | | | life. |
| to improve skills, and the ability to use | | | | |