Meet Derek. He's not a happy camper. In fact the expletives are already flying and he's threatening to launch physically at any second.
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Whether in the throes of fever-induced delirium, intoxicated, high or teetering on the verge of rage for some other reason, Derek is unfortunately typical of a growing number of patients encountered daily by Australian health professionals.
While few would choose to be in a room with him, thankfully staff faced with treating hostile patients now don't have to be, at least not while learning how to cope with aggressive behaviour.
An immersive simulation program has been developed at Western Australia's Edith Cowan University to offer doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical workers first-hand experience in de-escalating tension without actually being in harm's way.
The IVADE technology, a winner last week at the state's long-running INCITE tech awards, is currently being used to teach nurses and nursing students how to negotiate with the likes of Derek sans the risk.
Participants wear virtual reality goggles or play via a desktop computer, where they are confronted by the agitated patient.
Given multiple response options, their choices can lead to six outcomes ranging from Derek calming down or his anger escalating to using explicit language and becoming physically violent.
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts students used motion capture technology to bring the immersive experience to life.
Edith Cowan PhD candidate Josh Johnson said the key to IVADE's accessibility is how it combines theory with practical demonstration.
"During trials, people were so immersed that when Derek would physically lash out, people would instinctively move to avoid the blow," he said.
"So it really is a realistic experience and the feedback we've received from both working clinicians and students has been extremely positive."
According to medical insurance provider Avant, handling hostile patients is an ongoing challenge for all healthcare practitioners, with more than 11,600 incidents of violence across Australia reported in 2017 alone.
Mr Johnson said nine of 10 people shown IVADE indicated they would like to undertake more virtual de-escalation training and after being presented in select conferences and events, the program has also received wider industry praise.
Though currently tailored to healthcare settings, it can be easily transferred to other workplaces that might involve difficult public interactions like those encountered in hospitality, retail and social work.
"Simulations such as these aren't just more engaging than traditional training methods like workshops or role-playing, they are also more easily adapted across other industries," Mr Johnson said.
"Now the foundations of IVADE are in place, we can create different scenarios and move it from a hospital to a hotel, retail store, classroom or other locations relevant to the industry in question."
Australian Associated Press
