The military trains medics on trauma management procedures using various methods and modalities of simulation. Simulation modalities for medical training may include manikins, part-task trainers, augmented/virtual reality, computer-based simulations, cadavers, or live tissue training. Each modality has benefits and limitations for training, such as suitability for training a certain task, cost, scalability, and deployability. To determine which simulation modality should be utilized and in what context, it is important to establish what features are needed to train specific medical tasks and to understand the capability gaps of each modality.

To establish whether a simulation meets the needs of military medical training and assessment, evaluation criteria were developed for twelve trauma procedures based on existing military doctrine for certifying competence of medics in tactical combat environments. For each procedure, a checklist was developed that consisted of a series of steps needed to complete the procedure successfully and the necessary simulation features corresponding with each step. The checklists can be used to compare different simulations on the same scale across modalities. A pilot study was then conducted as part of a military Technical Experimentation (TE) event. Military medics were asked to complete the checklists of features for each medical simulation. Following the checklist, evaluators were asked to rate modalities on factors of suitability for military medical training overall.

During a weeklong TE event, 33 experienced military medics evaluated 27 medical simulations presented by industry vendors. Results are currently being analyzed. The medics also provided feedback on the evaluation criteria and methodology, which will be used to further refine the process of comparing capabilities for military medical simulation. Future work will continue the development of the evaluation criteria to recommend a set of standards for military medical simulation, which will provide guidance for developing medical training that meets operational needs.

Keywords
ASSESSMENT, COMBAT TRAUMA, EVALUATION, MEDICAL MODELING AND SIMULATION, TRAINING

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