P2B082: Venc: Virtual Essential Newborn Care Mobile Virtual Reality Simulations for Health Professionals in Low Resource Settings

Background: Each year, there are 2.8 million newborn deaths, mainly from birth asphyxia and prematurity in low and low-middle income countries. The local development of mobile virtual reality (VR) simulations may help to provide accessible, standardized refresher training on neonatal care for healthcare professionals in low resource settings.

Methods: The vENC project is a collaborative effort of two academic institutions in the U.S. and in Nigeria and a technical partner located in Nigeria for equitable and sustainable development of mobile VR simulations designed for healthcare professionals. An iterative approach was used to meet the acceptability and usability requirements of end-users. Design decisions included number and focus of scenarios, user interactions, elements, and feedback. Key metrics were collected through observations and surveys.

Results: From October 2021-March 2022, virtual design sessions were held to create 12 mobile VR simulations based on the newly released World Health Organization Essential Newborn Care (ENC) curricula. Monthly on-site usability tests were conducted from March-July 2022. Pilot testing was conducted using the vENC prototype in-country by eHealth4everyone in the simulation facilities at University of Lagos. A total of 28 usability sessions were conducted with 15 participants including physicians, nurses and community health workers. Most participants described the vENC application as appealing, clear, intuitive, high-quality, fun and easy to use although some found it intimidating. User feedback was used for iterative development of the vENC field test simulations (Figure 1). Challenges and solutions for development, testing and deployment of mobile VR simulations in a low resource setting are described (Table 1).

Conclusion: Local capacity strengthening for development of mobile VR simulations is feasible through institutional partnerships. Lessons learned from the vENC project may inform the implementation of similar programs with the potential to improve health outcomes.