Stop Before You Block- 360 Video Training

The Stop Before You Block (SBYB) project is a 360-video education tool for patient safety. This programme includes several 360-degree immersive experiences that enable participants to become immersed in environments. Many of these experiences are shot from first person perspective of staff or patients. Experience, practice, reflection and further experience are key aspect in adult learning. VR experiences allow viewers to immerse and post-immersion they can reflect upon their experience and its relation to practice, calling for a discussion on improving behaviours and attitudes.

The SBYB is regularly taught as part of the Team Resource and Management (TEREMA) workshops that are provided to educate staff on issues such as effective communication, team behaviour, empathy and leadership. This programme was on of our first and was initially made available through portable Google Cardboard and then Samsung Galaxy VR headsets. Although the experience don’t offer any interaction between the viewer and the experience, there is a strong opportunity for experience reflection. After the workshop attendees experience the 360-degree films, they get an opportunity to discuss their feelings and thoughts about the experience with the group. Clinical lead Dr. Tod Guest provides debrief and helps the learners in tying the VR experience to practice. Discussions about managing critical clinical communication in complex and noisy environments ( e.g. operating theatre, ICU ward). VR technology allows cost-effective and safe, but powerful for learning, experiences that are vital to engage clinical and non-clinical training participants in a more

controlled, non-clinical teaching environment. Positive participant feedback has encouraged us to integrate this into our course.

Our biggest struggle since the introduction of the programme has been regarding scaling up the kit and software required to run the video smoothly. The TEREMA faculty does not have direct access to VR headsets and these must be loaned from the Immersive VR Lab. The headsets need to be booked in advance as they may be required elsewhere in the hospital or for research purposes. Although the software has undergone significant in-house development, in the future we hope to provide VR headsets that are for dedicated use by the TEREMA faculty.