TMC

TMC Use case

Patients trust that the hospitals they enter will send them home on the road to better health. But they may encounter dangers even while hospitalized, such as falls and secondary infections.

Problem

As the leading provider of emergency care in Southern Arizona, Tucson Medical Center (TMC) takes seriously the great responsibility it bears for keeping patients safe while in their care. Proper training of nursing, environmental service, and patient care technician staff is essential to reduce risks and improve patient outcomes. But like so many healthcare institutions, TMC faces challenges with a shortage of trained healthcare professionals and trainers, limited funds, and a lack of space for training. TMC needed a way to onboard staff efficiently and effectively.

TMC was interested in virtual reality as a way to deliver training that closely replicated performing the actual task, in an environment resembling the real hospital room, using the appropriate tools, and with movements and interactions to build muscle memory. But they were concerned about a lengthy development period that might be costly. Hospital rooms are in heavy demand, so reducing the need to keep a patient room vacant was desirable. They also wanted to maintain quality control throughout the process to ensure the accuracy of the end product and weren’t sure whether they’d be able to modify any VR trainings they had built.

Deeper Dive

An example is the patient room cleaning module, set in a virtual environment that simulates a hospital room, with a bed, furniture, medical devices, and potentially contaminated surfaces. Trainees must navigate the virtual room, identify areas requiring cleaning, and select appropriate cleaning agents and tools. The simulation guides trainees through cleaning tasks that are tracked on a checklist. Tasks include bed changing, surface wiping, and waste disposal, and emphasize attention to detail, infection control protocols, and patient privacy considerations.

Trainees receive feedback on their performance, helping them develop proficiency and confidence in maintaining clean and hygienic patient environments in healthcare settings. The multiplayer system included in GroKit Core also permits instructors to join learners in the module for observation and personalized instruction when needed.

Using virtual reality to train environmental services staff has the added benefit of signaling how crucial their role in the hospital is and thus contributing to job satisfaction. New technologies are often reserved for surgeons and researchers, but as the world learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining sanitary conditions is essential, especially in healthcare facilities.

As mentioned, TMC wanted to be involved in the project to ensure accuracy, and when changes were requested, 3lbXR relied on GroKit Core’s modular design to quickly adapt. The modules are also now part of 3lbXR’s library of experiences that can be adopted as is or modified as needed.