Open AccessVirtual Disaster Simulation: Lesson Learned from an International Collaboration That Can Be Leveraged for Disaster Education in Iran
Author(s) -
Ali Ardalan,
Joseph Kimuli Balikuddembe,
Pier Luigi Ingrassia,
Luca Carenzo,
Francesco Della Corte,
Ali Amini,
Ahmadreza Djalali
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
plos currents
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.282
H-Index - 49
ISSN - 2157-3999
DOI - 10.1371/currents.dis.7007c0a03c4660f258994d3e150a033c
Subject(s) - disaster medicine , process (computing) , emergency management , field (mathematics) , computer science , medical education , virtual reality , engineering management , engineering , human factors and ergonomics , medicine , medical emergency , poison control , political science , artificial intelligence , mathematics , pure mathematics , law , operating system
Disaster education needs innovative educational methods to be more effective compared to traditional approaches. This can be done by using virtual simulation method. This article presents an experience about using virtual simulation methods to teach health professional on disaster medicine in Iran. The workshop on the "Application of New Technologies in Disaster Management Simulation" was held in Tehran in January 2015. It was co-organized by the Disaster and Emergency Health Academy of Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Emergency and the Research Center in Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale. Different simulators were used by the participants, who were from the health system and other relevant fields, both inside and outside Iran. As a result of the workshop, all the concerned stakeholders are called on to support this new initiative of incorporating virtual training and exercise simulation in the field of disaster medicine, so that its professionals are endowed with field-based and practical skills in Iran and elsewhere. Virtual simulation technology is recommended to be used in education of disaster management. This requires capacity building of instructors, and provision of technologies. International collaboration can facilitate this process.