Advanced lmmersive Medical Environments Project (AI-MEP)

Period: September 2013 - March 2015
Funding Support:  Lee kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU
Status: Ongoing
Website: AI MEP

Aim

To explore the use of a highly immersive augmented reality environment (HIARE) to provide a technological frame-work for uniformity of Phase 3 medical student safe and controlled exposure to acute medical emergencies e.g. recurrent Obstetric Management Mistakes (OMM). Although difficult, to explore the impact of HIARE on learning / student competencies.

Background

The most common OMM errors are delay in transporting the bleeding patient to the operating room (82%), unfamiliarity with prostaglandin administration to reverse uterine atony (82%), poor cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques (80%), inadequate documentation of shoulder dystocia (80%), delayed administration of blood products to reverse consumption coagulopathy (66%), and inappropriate avoidance of episiotomy in shoulder dystocia and breech extraction (32%) [1].

Research Objective / Method

In the first instance, we propose to use CAVE technology to build an immersive simulation system with advanced interactivity features for participants. Advanced interactive features will be grasping and touching augmented reality elements (AREs).

A simulation-based unit for hands-on training related to various obstetric emergency scenarios will be developed using:

  1. augmented reality based mannequins* (AR-Man) of women to address care of women across their lifespan [2];
  2. development of manipulation techniques i.e., grasping and touching augmented reality interactivity technologies and;
  3. creation of 3D CAVE simulator 'fit for purpose' background(s).

*Possibly hybrid, superimposed computer graphics augmenting a simulated patient.

Possible scenarios for consideration at the second phase of the research will be:

  1. Eclamptic seizure;
  2. Postpartum haemorrhage [4);
  3. Shoulder dystocia [3);
  4. Breech extraction
  5. Response times for emergency cesarean delivery [5].

The CAVE experience will be tailored to support obstetric teams consisting of at least one resident (e.g. undergraduate) and two midwives.

In addition the CAVE experience will support and record checklists of actions expected from the teams. These checklists will be handed out to the course's tutors who observe the "event." All sessions will be videotaped and then reviewed and analysed by the trainees themselves, guided by two experienced tutors. The most commonly occurring mistakes will be analysed by summing up checklists and by watching the recorded sessions. Phase 3 development may include interactive feedback from the system as the students move about within the CAVE experience. This feedback will be formal and also made available, at the students choice, for reflection/s with other tutors.


Total Budget for the Project

SGD$ 166,000

IMI's contribution

Prof. Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann, is the Principal Investigator of project.

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