Individual Performance Analytics in a Virtual Reality Simulation for Medication and Medical Supply Storage: An Experience Report

Abstract

Safe storage of medications and medical supplies is a core requirement of patient safety. At the Sanitätsakademie der Bundeswehr (Bundeswehr Medical Academy), a deliberately error-seeded “small material distribution unit” (skill lab) is used to illustrate theoretically taught content through practical scenarios. These scenarios address issues such as expired products, improper storage, damaged packaging, and inadequate access control. Inspections are typically conducted in groups, which limits insight into individual competence. A realistic virtual reality (VR) simulation of the storage environment was therefore developed to capture individual performance analytics. The simulation reproduces the skill lab environment in detail and randomises material-related defects and room-level safety checks per run. Its design is informed by findings indicating that high realism in immersive VR enhances learning. An instructor-facing launcher allows training staff to define the difficulty level and configure error types and quantities. At the beginning of a six-week training programme, twelve participants completed a run in the Easy mode, and nine of them returned near the end of the training for a run in the Hard mode. At the end of each run, a report was generated which documented the difficulty level, total number of errors, number and proportion of corrected errors, results of room-configuration checks, and for each item the status “correctly disposed”, “incorrectly disposed”, or “overlooked”. Based on this data, descriptive metrics and illustrative individual performance profiles were derived. This experience report indicates that a VR simulation can meaningfully complement group-based training by providing graded scenarios and individual analytics.

Keywords: Virtual Reality, Healthcare Technology, Medical Education And Training, VR Evaluation System

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007470