Military leaders have identified zero preventable deaths as a high priority for improving the survival of those injured during combat. The Department of Defense (DoD) has focused on requirements for initiatives to improve Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training such as the Deployed Medicine platform, the medical simulation training environment (mSTE) and the Squad Virtual Trainer and Integrated Visual Augmentation System (SSVT IVAS). Limitations with existing training include the inhibitive costs of realistic, interactive medical manikins and eXtended reality (XR) headsets, and the lack of opportunities to practice and perform trauma care. Due to high throughput required and time necessary to complete this training, and DoD trainees find it difficult to attend and maintain competency in the TCCC skill set. Accessible, goal-specific, and guided training on mobile devices with XR simulations has the potential to improve survivability statistics for preventable deaths.

Training technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) or the combination of all three under  XR is emerging as a realistic, low-cost immersive solution with potential in improving and supporting performance of skills.  XR technology presents high fidelity augmentations  to real-world elements offering trainees realistic environments for prescribed learning opportunities. By utilizing activities and assessments developed especially for XR to assess skills and proficiency, trainees can interact with and embody the real and virtual environment through hands on practice that facilitates both cognitive and psychomotor learning. This paper presents results from a preliminary technical effectiveness evaluation conducted at a military medical training facility using a mobile XR application developed for anytime, anywhere  training to increase time to proficiency and to provide refresher training. The  study demonstrates improved performance for trainees who undertook classroom training with the XR mobile application as compared with trainees who undertook the classroom training using traditional materials for refresher training.

Keywords
AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY (AR/VR);COMBAT CASUALTY CARE;COMPETENCY BASED TRAINING;EVALUATION;HUMAN FACTORS;MIXED REALITY;MOBLIE TECHNOLOGY

Additional Keywords