A Virtual Reality-Based Software for Teaching and Assessing Disaster Triage: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation

Background: Disasters cause extensive human casualties and disrupt communities, making triage a crucial component of crisis management. The START triage method rapidly assesses casualties and assigns them to color-coded categories, making it widely used in mass-casualty incidents. Traditional training lacks a stressful environment for skill assessment, while physical drills are costly. Virtual Reality (VR) provides an innovative, cost-effective solution by simulating crisis scenarios and enabling repeated practice. Objective: This study aimed to design and evaluate a VR-based software for teaching and assessing the START triage. Methods: This quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study involved developing a VR-based crisis simulation software featuring Imam Reza Shrine and four culturally adapted casualty characters. After validation by emergency medicine specialists, ۴۳ medical interns and ۲۴ emergency medicine residents participated. All watched a START triage training video, completed a ۱۰-question pre-test, and completed the Technology Readiness Index. They were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group received traditional training, while the intervention group practiced triage on four virtual cases with feedback. A post-test and Likert-scale satisfaction survey followed. Results: The VR group had significantly higher post-test scores (P<۰.۰۵). Participants with moderate to high VR technology readiness reported greater satisfaction than the control group. Conclusion: VR-based training enhances START triage learning and user satisfaction, making it a promising alternative to traditional methods.

کلیدواژه ها:

Disaster management ، START triage ، Virtual Reality ، Medical education ، Technology acceptance