Abstract
Prehospital emergency care requires clinicians to manage a vast array of medical and trauma incidents, including rare events such as obstetrics (i.e., childbirth) emergencies. Emergency births can have life-threatening complications such as neonatal respiratory distress potentially leading to cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Management of low-frequency high-risk (LFHR) events such as birthing and immediate neonatal care occurring outside the planned place of birth require expert clinical management. Underutilised skill and knowledge of LFHR events decay within 12-months of being taught. LFHR events are often overlooked for refresher training due to the low occurrence of such cases, putting LFHR patients at even greater risk of complications. This paper outlines the development of a 3D virtual reality (VR) simulation training program: Novel Educational Overview of the Neonatal Apgar and Treatment Experience in Virtual Reality (NEONATE in VR) for prehospital clinicians. Using an adapted version of the seven-step systematic and iterative user-centred development framework, our methodology included: (1) forming an expert multidisciplinary design team; (2) defining the problem and establishing user and educator preferences; (3) incorporating the evidence base; (4) simulation assessment design; (5) incorporating experiential learning theory; (6) developing a logic model and (7) user testing. This adapted model was highly efficacious in the development of NEONATE in VR and would be suitable for further obstetrics simulation training programs. This model should also be considered when undertaking research and development of other educational VR programs in healthcare.
Keywords
birth, emergency medical service, paramedic, serious games, simulation, virtual reality
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
9-1-2026
Article Number
134
ISSN
13594338
Volume
30
Publication Title
Virtual Reality
Publisher
Springer
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
95138
Funding Information
This research was undertaken with assistance from a PhD scholarship awarded as part of an Edith Cowan University Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow Scholarship for 2020. There is no grant number associated with this. Additionally, funding was received from the Government of Western Australia, Department of Health Clinical Simulation and Training Advisory Network Grants Program to design and develop the simulation program. Grant number DoH20182655-20-10. Further funding was received from Graduate Women Western Australia with the Mary and Elsie Stevens Scholarship 2022, to assist with beta-phase data collection and presentation of formative research.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hill, M. G., Hopper, L., Flanagan, B., Hansen, S., Miles, A., Watson, J., Cashman, S., Balding, K., Dysktra, P., Johnson, J., & Mills, B. (2026). Neonatal assessment and VR: Designing 3D simulation training for prehospital clinicians. Virtual Reality, 30, Article 134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-026-01382-7