Virtual 3D Simulation Technology for Interprofessional Team Training

Background: In the hospital, interprofessional team members must work collaboratively. That creates a gap in medical practice, particularly in a hectic emergency that may lead to medical errors, with associated ethical, legal, and financial consequences. Mannequin-based simulation can be a solution to bridge this gap in team training. While mannequin-based simulations are effective as a synchronous method, they are expensive, time and space-bound, use hospital resources, and require the whole team to be present. Objective: To develop a prototype of a 3D virtual simulation emergency room (ER) environment for interprofessional team training. And to assess the usability of the prototype in a simulation environment for team training using a clinical scenario. Methods: Tools and technologies used for this prototype included the Unity platform, C# programming language, and Photon Voice 2. With 3DS Max, we modified and created 3d assets in the ER simulation room. Adobe XD was used to create interactive prototype iterations. Clinical cases were developed with simple algorithms to prove the concepts. We used complex algorithms with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capabilities for the final product. We conducted two usability tests (n = 10, n = 9) using a think-aloud method, a semi-structured follow-up interview, and a survey. Results: A prototype was built to achieve asynchronous team training with easy user access from anywhere in the world. The prototype, which includes voice communication and control of the avatars by players from a distance, supported the usability of the technology for asynchronous team training in health education. Conclusions: CyberPatient(ER) can be used as an additional tool to support team training and communication skills in the health education and healthcare environment.