We propose pediatric trauma simulation training in virtual reality (VR). The competitive edge of VR includes its high fidelity in simulating clinical scenarios, its virtually unlimited scalability, and its significant cost-effectiveness once the educational platform is developed.

Our planned innovation would consist in developing for the first time a full pediatric trauma course using VR in the world. Moreover, the course would be unique in using technology to train entire teams in essential non-technical skills such as leadership, communication, situational awareness, and decision-making in a multi-player environment. (Read our articles about team communication on the CommiSur Lab website!)

Our decision for VR is justified by a scoping review recently completed in our research lab (to be published soon). Following the review of 6471 articles focused on technology in trauma education, VR emerged as the ideal candidate platform for hosting an immersive, scalable, and cost-effective pediatric trauma course, including non-technical skills training. Other platforms such as high- and low-fidelity mannequins, augmented reality, and (remote) didactic lectures all lack various feasibility criteria, being either unaffordable, insufficiently immersive, or educationally deficient.

Our project also holds promise in opening a new frontier in non-technical skills medical education research, translatable to other medical and surgical specialties. According to the recent medical literature on non-technical skills training, the ideal methods for teaching non-technical skills in surgical education remain unclear, a gap that can be filled through future projects based on our agile platform.