The extension of virtual reality technology from military use into health
care is said to be a natural progression, and studies show that students
learn faster using life-like simulators.
A&M-Corpus Christi drama students
provided the real-life models for the computerized doctors and patients found
in Pulse!! The possibilities are endless, but the first scenario will feature
the simulation of a trauma patient in shock.
Pulse!! replicates the real-life
intensive care unit at the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., down
to the artwork on the walls.
(Corpus Christi)—The high-tech world of virtual reality is intersecting with health care at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi with development, begun in March 2005, of the country’s first high-fidelity, first-person, role-playing immersive simulation training tool for health care professionals.
The tool, called Pulse!!, is a computerized version of the real-life intensive care unit at the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
“Using an actual facility helps create a real-world environment,” said Claudia Johnston, associate vice president for special projects at the university. “We made several visits to the hospital, took pictures and made sure the virtual version is like the real version—and it is, right down to the exits, nursing stations and pictures on the walls.”
Johnston said that students learn quicker using simulators, and that the extension from military use into health care is a natural progression of virtual reality technology. A pre-release version of Pulse!! will begin testing in January at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.; The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md.; and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
“The work undertaken by the Pulse!! project’s highly-skilled team puts A&M-Corpus Christi further on the technology map because of the ingenuity exercised in developing top-flight methods for medical training,” said A&M-Corpus Christi President Flavius Killebrew.
Federal grants of nearly $10 million have been allocated to the program from the Office of Naval Research, Department of the Navy. The program has been a top priority for U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, who said the program “could change the future face of medical education in our country.”
The technology will be used to train new medical professionals and help current medical and military personnel sharpen their clinical skills.
“The user will experience critical thinking, peer and patient interaction, and emotional observation, all simultaneously, in a random, not scripted, virtual environment,” said Doug Whatley, CEO of BreakAway, Ltd., a Maryland-based company working under the direction of university officials to develop the virtual reality system.
A&M-Corpus Christi drama students served as the models for the computerized replications of people performing simple tasks such as sitting and walking. Sensors were attached to their bodies, and 16 cameras in a motion capture lab documented their movements.
“We will be doing another set of films and pictures, which will capture more complex sets of action and skills,” Johnston said. “Pulse!! can present an infinite number of scenarios, but our first one will feature the simulation of a trauma patient in shock.”
The technology found in Pulse!! could help alleviate escalating problems related to the shortage of nurses and other health care professionals, Johnston said. It will also assist the military in providing crucial advanced combat and terrorism response training to health care workers.
Of particular concern is preparedness for acts of bioterrorism. Pulse!! will provide real-time instruction with simulated patients who can respond realistically, including by complaining of being cold or in pain.
The technology also addresses real-life stressors such as time constraints and sensory distractions, said Johnston.
“Not only will the situations, patients and scenarios be life-like, so will the students’ reactions to these medical situations. Students will see the immediate consequences of their actions as health care professionals,” she said.
“Ultimately, this new technology we are spearheading will mean more
saved lives,” she said. “It also launches us into the high-tech
future of a new chapter of the health care industry.” 