Health Scholars launches VR app to combat ACLS skills decay
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Health Scholars has launched the first headset-based VirtualReality (VR) training simulation to provide clinicians repeatable ACLSrefresher training. In-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates average 26percent, and patients in which clinical staff reported adequate resuscitationtraining have greater than 3-fold odds of higher survival rates than patientswhere adequate training programs are lacking1. In fact, the rate ofsurvival after cardiac arrest increased by 28.3 percent with implementation ofACLS training courses2.
However, knowledge of this life-saving competency decayswithin months of certification for those who work in non-critical care areas(majority of the hospital)3. Health systems have struggled toimplement cost-effective and adequate refresher training due to the volume ofindividuals needing training and the limited numbers of clinical educators.With ACLS, VR simulation organizations are able to provide critical refreshertraining at scale and for 50 percent less than the cost of physical simulation.“’Health Scholars’ virtual reality training prevents ACLS skills decay byenabling learners to physically engage in code situations at an appropriatefrequency. It’s realistic, clinically accurate and can be completed at theconvenience of the learner.”
The app was designed in accordance with American HeartAssociation (AHA) guidelines to complement AHA’s HeartCode training as well asthe new Resuscitation Quality Improvement (RQI) program, utilizingstate-of-the-art voice recognition and motion capture technologies.
According to a recent AHA scientific statement,“Resuscitation Education Science: Educational Strategies to Improve Outcomesfrom Cardiac Arrest”:
- The current massed approach to resuscitation training should be replaced or supplemented with a spaced practice.
- The duration and design of each training session, the interval between sessions, and the number of repetitions should be tailored to context, learner type, objectives, and prior experiences.
- Techniques such as debriefing after real resuscitation events and in situ simulation can be used to provide spaced training experiences.
- Technology-enhanced simulators and learning management systems should be used to collect individual learner data during training to determine the interval of training4.
ACLS Virtual Reality Simulation can meet all of these needswithout bulky equipment or high coordination overhead. It immerses learners ina VR simulation that allows them to provide voicedirected commands and showthey understand the core rhythms as well as how to address them while usingproper communication skills. Its features allow it to:
- Train to all of the AHA core rhythms including return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC)
- Place the learner in the role of the team lead, as required by AHA, and recreate the stress of a mega code situation
- Provide standardized practice, assessment and skills validation
- Debrief on failed waveform identification and on general code management principals needing improvement
- Be completed without having to schedule an entire team – extending the reach of training
- Be used 24/7, at the convenience of the learner, encouraging increased training frequency
Cole Sandau, Health Scholars’ CEO notes, “Our mission isimprove patient safety, and by virtualizing ACLS training, simulationdirectors, nurse educators and others responsible for patient safety andquality measures can easily deliver learners a consistent training experience,no matter their locations or when they’re available to complete the trainings.This modality of training has the ability to improve cardiac patient outcomesat scale, and our team is excited to bring this new solution to market.”
1 Resuscitation Practices Associated with Survival After In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Nationwide Survey. JAMA Cardiol. 2016 May 1; 1(2): 189–197 2016, 189-197
2 Impact of advanced cardiac life support training program on the outcome of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a tertiary care hospital. Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine 15(4):209-12. October 2011
3 Resuscitation Education Science: Educational Strategies to Improve Outcomes From Cardiac Arrest. Circulation. 2018;138:e82– e122. August 2018
4 Resuscitation Education Science: Educational Strategies to Improve Outcomes from Cardiac Arrest. Circulation. 2018;138:e82– e122. August 2018
