HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — The Shell Family Foundation has gifted virtual reality software to Cabell County EMS. This new tool enables future paramedics to hone their life-saving skills through the technology.
MedCognition PerSim Augmented Reality Software, also known as PerSim, is a virtual reality tool capable of recreating nearly any medical emergency scenario.
Todd Shell, who leads the Shell Family Foundation, mentioned that Cabell County EMS has rescued his father multiple times. Upon learning that they needed advanced training software, he decided to lend his support.
"Cabell County EMS likely rescued my father multiple times throughout the years. Without their top-notch training, he wouldn't have survived for so long. Upon learning that Gordon Merry at Cabell County EMS urgently required this technology due to conducting training sessions here, we felt it crucial to assist in securing funds for them," explained Shell.
John Fannin, a critical care instructor, said that one of the best aspects of PerSim is that it allows students to make mistakes without the high stakes.
It presents an excellent chance for learning since becoming proficient at something requires initially doing it poorly multiple times," explained Fannin. "This provides a valuable opportunity to learn through failure, allowing us to help them recover, support them, and demonstrate the right approach. Doing so with a virtual patient makes this process far more straightforward compared to working with actual patients.
The software emulates the usage of various medical tools that students would encounter in actual clinical settings, enabling them to explore what techniques are effective and which aren’t, all without putting real patients in harm’s way.
The PerSim software is currently available at all community colleges in West Virginia that provide paramedic programs. However, Shell has expressed his desire to donate additional copies of PerSim to more emergency medical service facilities throughout the state.
We're going to have exceptionally well-trained paramedics thanks to this software. It simply improves the learning experience by making it more efficient and faster," explained Shell. "This ensures they perform effectively right from their first day on the job since they practice dealing with actual life situations rather than non-responsive mannequins.
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