We present a virtual reality environment to train medical personnel in the proper use of protective devices during interventions. The app will be freely available in Spring 2024 through the website www.bfs.de.

Personnel in interventional procedures is exposed to the highest levels of radiation in the course of their professional activities. However, the potential effects and the benefits of radiation protection measures are often underestimated because they cannot be easily observed and are only noticed in the long term.Training in virtual reality offers the opportunity to practice the correct behavior of medical personnel and the proper use of protective devices, independent of location and time, without any hazards from radiation. In order to ensure convincing and instructive...

Results showed an average increase of 57 % in the correct estimation of the protective factor of measures incorporated in the training (see example in Figure 4 below). [Fig 4] The left graph in Figure 4 shows that only 11 out of 30 respondents answered correctly before the training. The right graph in Figure 4 shows that the estimations improved toward the correct answer after the training.In addition, Fig. 5 shows that 90,6 % of the participants agreed or strongly agreed to the assertion “The...

The described tool helps to increase awareness about radiation protection in intervention rooms, as well as to correctly estimate the effect of protective measures.

H. de las Heras Gala: Nothing to disclose K. S. Winter: Nothing to disclose F. Höfer: Employee: Northdocks GmbH S. Fuchs: Employee: Northdocks GmbH

Funding for this studyThis research project received funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection under project code number 3621S42350.