VIP ROOM, Virtual Reality for the Operating Room

Since January 2019, Grenoble Alpes University, Heidelberg University (Germany), Imperial College London (UK) and Researchers at Grenoble Ecole de Management have partnered with a French startup specialized in Virtual Reality (VR) training tools for healthcare, Simango, to develop this tool, with support from EIT Health. You only require a classic VR helmet and a smartphone to use it.

Once the helmet is in your head, you enter a 3 steps scenario available in English, French and German, following these 3 steps:

 

VIP ROOM is a training tool based on World Health Organization (WHO) hygiene recommendations in the Operation Room. Virtual Reality enable students and professionals to immerse themselves in real conditions. Once you download the scenario on a VR Helmet, you will face a screen allowing you to choose between three different environments.

 

 

First, you meet your patient and prepare your surgery by making the right diagnostic. Then, once the operation is all set up and prepared, you have to finish dressing yourself up for the intervention: gloves, medical clothes, cap …etc.  and realise a cord hand hygiene disinfection. Finally, you get the chance to enter the Operating Room: test, play and learn to familiarize yourself with the specific environment and its requirements.  

The scenario lasts around 10 to 20 minutes in total and alternates between quiz, testing of your ability to find your way in the room, following the right moves, and finding all the errors. Everything is accompanied by detailed explanation designed to improve your knowledge.

 

VIP Room – Room of success has proven successful with its ability to engage with learners by recreating the genuine conditions of the Operating Room and all the challenges that it contains. Students are expected to set aside their traditional revision materials and switch to a “learning by doing” mind-set.

 

Since students can use this tool without any time constraints and without undertaking any risks, they are able to go through a deep learning session.

Indeed, one of the main problems in today’s educational systems is that traditional methods of teaching lead to a lack of student engagement. An immersive experience offered by Virtual Reality is an efficient tool to counter this problem.

 

Furthermore, by focusing on the successes rather than the errors, the scenario is engaging and encouraging, enhancing students’ interests and involvement in their apprenticeship.

 

In November 2019, third year medicine students from the universities of Heidelberg and Grenoble had the opportunity to experience it for the first time. Supported by nurses and doctors they were able to play VIP Room’s scenario while training for their exams and future operations. Both the students and the healthcare professional teams were truly enthusiastic about the results.  

 

VIP Room -- Room of Success is an efficient way to overcome restricted access to the Operating Room due to high risks for patients and lack of means to assist students. The aim is reduce surgical infection rate by reducing stress and confusion in students’ minds when they practice surgical intervention for the first time.