Healthcare Training Enhancement Through Virtual Reality and Serious Games

There has been an increase in the use of immersive 3D virtual environments and serious games, that is, video games that are used for educational purposes, and only recently serious games have been considered for healthcare training. For example, there are a number of commercial surgical simulators which offer great potential for the training of basic skills and techniques, if the tedium of repeated rehearsal can be overcome. It is generally recognized that more abstract problem-solving and knowledge level training needs to be incorporated into simulated scenarios. This chapter explores some examples of what has been developed in terms of teaching models and evaluative methodologies, then discusses the educational theories explaining why virtual simulations and serious games are an important teaching tool, and finally suggests how to assess their value within an educational context. The tasks being trained span several levels of abstraction, from kinematic and dynamic aspects to domain knowledge training. The evaluation of the trainee at each level of this hierarchy necessitates objective metrics. We will describe a unifying framework for evaluation of speed and accuracy of these multi-level tasks needed for validating their effectiveness before inclusion in medical training curricula. In addition, specific case studies will be presented and research results brought forward regarding the development of virtual simulations, including those for neurosurgical procedures, EMS training, and patient teaching modules.