SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Disaster Emerg. Med.
Sec. Disaster Medicine
Volume 3 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/femer.2025.1630167
This article is part of the Research TopicDigital Innovations in Disaster Response: Bridging Gaps and Saving LivesView all articles
Extended Reality Technology for Emergency Medical Service Training: Systematic Review
Provisionally accepted- 1Pace University, New York City, United States
- 2New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, United States
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Background: Extended reality (XR) technologies, which generally encompass virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, and realized through head-mounted devices, have been increasingly adopted to support Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training.Objective: The objective of this review is to synthesize the current applications of immersive technologies in EMS training.Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework. The studies were analyzed based on their objectives, methods, major findings, implemented technologies, and reported benefits and barriers.The majority of reviewed studies used virtual reality (VR) technologies for EMS training. Key system features identified as effective included interactive user interfaces, task performance recording, monitoring and feedback, scenario editor and control, realism and presence, and multi-user collaboration. The studies primarily assessed four aspects of the implemented immersive technologies: technical feasibility, training effectiveness (e.g., clinical performance, knowledge acquisition), cost-effectiveness (e.g., cost savings, business models), and user experience (e.g., immersion, presence, cognitive load, usability, acceptance). Notable benefits highlighted included enhanced engagement, accessibility, cost-efficiency, standardization, and teamwork. Despite these advantages, challenges persist, which are categorized as ergonomic and human factor issues, usability problems, and technical limitations.Immersive technologies have demonstrated significant potential to enhance EMS training by improving skill acquisition and readiness for high-stakes scenarios, such as massive casualty incidents or disasters. However, research in this area remains limited, requiring further investigation to address persistent challenges and optimize implementation.
Keywords: Immersive technology, head-mounted display, Emergency Medical Services, simulation, medical training
Received: 17 May 2025; Accepted: 04 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Meybodi, Ingale, Karimova and Vinnikov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zhan Zhang, Pace University, New York City, United States
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