Comparative study of virtual and face-to-face training methods on the quality of healthcare services provided by Kermanshah pre-hospital emergency staff (EMS): randomized educational Intervention trial

Abstract

Background Emergency medical centers are globally one of the most important pillars of pre-hospital care. The most important purpose of this system is to provide satisfactory services in the shortest possible time and in accordance with the modern scientific standards of the world. The present study aimed to compare the effect of virtual and face-to-face training methods on the quality of service provided by Kermanshah pre-hospital emergency personnel, Iran. Methods This was a randomized educational intervention trial performed among the staff of Kermanshah Emergency Medical Center. Individuals were randomly divided into two training groups of virtual and face-to-face. Participants in the face-to-face group received slides, lectures, and practical work with moulage for 6 h a day. Subjects were taught the four skills of intubation, laryngeal mask airway (LMA), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and attenuated electrical device (AED). Participants in the virtual group received the same content in the form of a training video on CD with a full explanation of the project's objectives. Pre- and post-test scores of participants were compared within and between the groups by Stata 14.0 software. Results Eighty-seven individuals were participated in the study, 43 of whom were assigned to the face-to-face training group and 44 to the virtual training group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of work experience and educational level (P > 0.05). Post-training scores in both groups were significantly higher than pre-training in the four skills (P ≤ 0.005). After adjusting for educational level and work experience, however, the quality of CPR, intubation, and AED was higher in the face-to-face training group than in the virtual group. However, the increase in the mean score of LMA in the virtual training was not significantly different than that of the face-to-face training group. Conclusion The results of our study showed the same efficacy of both face-to-face and virtual methods in improving the performance of personnel in tracheal intubation, LMA, CPR and AED shock skills. E-learning methods can be used as a complement to face-to-face methods in education.

Investigating Emergency Department Nurses’ Educational Needs and Exploring Strategies to Meet Challenges Against Management of These Needs: A Qualitative Study

“…However, the face-to-face training group had better post-test scores than the virtual training group in all skills. Farahmand Rad et al also concluded that according to the nature of the subject matter, the skills which wanted to be trained, and the conditions of the learners, both methods can be used in education (16). Similarly, other studies demonstrated that continuing education was crucial to nurses (17,18), and nursing education was among the predictors of patient outcomes (19).…”

Transfer of training on Employee Job Performance: A Literature Review

“…The Covid-19 pandemic has hastened the acceptance of virtual training methods, but there is limited knowledge regarding their effectiveness in facilitating the transfer of training and future job performance (Shahriar et al, 2022;Zakarani et al, 2021). Comprehending the distinct difficulties and advantages linked to virtual training and remote work settings is crucial for creating efficient training measures in the contemporary workplace (Mansoori et al, 2020;Rad et al, 2022).…”

“…The results revealed that virtual training can be advantageous; however, the absence of in-person communication may impede the acquisition of social and interpersonal abilities. Organizations are advised to integrate virtual training alongside other strategies to tackle these challenges (Abidi et al, 2019;Rad et al, 2022)…”

Procedure for the implementation of VR/AR learning scenarios for method training - Presentation of the Assisted Reality Implementation Model (ARIM).

“…[6,10,19] For example, in medicine, the costly training of surgical scenarios is increasingly being replaced by VR and AR applications, or in service quality training for preclinical emergency personnel. [20,21] The digitalization trend in teaching also promotes digitalization in further education, which leads to a positive trend in the use of VR and AR assistance systems [6]. In addition to an increased interest in VR in the engineering field, there is also an increase in the use of digital devices within learning and educational offers, as well as in educational research.…”